The Right Wrong Choice
by YouRang
Summary: A new story with Fox and Eric! Fox is a shy Candor who gets so nervous at her choosing ceremony (presided over by our favourite murderous babysitter) that she accidentally chooses the wrong faction. She and Eric are immediately at odds, will they kiss or kill each other? Rated M for all my usual stuff. Dark themes, character deaths. Smutty smut & Swears. I own nothing but Fox.
1. Chapter 1

I'm so nervous, my hands are shaking. I try rubbing them on my pants, but it's little help. The air around me is charged with anticipation and nervousness, so at least I'm not the only one shitting bricks right now. It's my Choosing Day, and I'm currently sweating bullets at my Choosing Ceremony, waiting to hear my name called. The other eighteen year old Candors around me whisper and nudge each other as they wait too, I know all these people, we've gone to school together for years, with the exception of me and few others, everyone got Candor on their aptitude tests and plans to stay in their home faction. I got Erudite, which is a relief; I've never felt one hundred percent comfortable in my home faction, too much stark honesty, too much of everyone knowing each other's business. I'm excited to go to Erudite, I love reading and learning, studying and observing. If it wasn't for the mandatory physical education classes in school (ruined by those heathen Dauntless), then I would have spent all my time in the libraries or laboratories.

"Madeline Fawkes." The voice of the Dauntless leader overseeing the ceremony today rings loud and clear. _Oh shit, I'm up._

I stumble only briefly past my faction mates and walk to the bowls. The leader waiting for me, holding out the knife is tall and imposing, glaring at me like being here at the Ceremony, helping young dependants choose their factions is an imposition to him. I feel my spine straighten and glare back at him, _this isn't my idea of a good time either._ Surprises flashes for an instant through his steel grey eyes, then a mask of impassiveness takes over. His fingers brush mine when he hands me the knife and I'm surprised by the warmth of his skin. It should match his demeanour instead, ice cold.

I turn to the bowls and quickly find Erudite, set between Dauntless on one side and Amity on the other. The knife bites my skin and I stop myself from wincing. The Neanderthal behind me doesn't seem the type to tolerate weakness, and his stare is already boring into my back. He shifts restlessly and I glance back over my shoulder at him.

"Dauntless!" He calls out, loud and clear and I snap my head back to the bowls. _NO!_ When I turned my head my arm moved, and my blood dropped not into the clear Erudite water, but onto the sizzling Dauntless coals. _OH SHIT._ He steps towards me, reaching for the knife again and I back away, shaking my head.

"No," I mumble.

He steps closer, warning flashing in his eyes. "What was that?"

"No...I mean, I meant to choose Erudite." I whisper.

He leans closer, something dark and sadistic flashing in his eyes. "Well your blood dripped onto Dauntless, so you chose us. Rules are rules. Now step in line, initiate."

I hesitate, surely they can make an exception. A sneer pulls at his lips. "Or would you rather go straight to Factionless, Red?"

I flush angrily. Yes, I have red hair and yes, it is a bright, flaming fox-pelt red, I've been teased my whole life for it, have hid it in tight buns and behind black-rimmed glasses (all for show, I don't need them) to try and look more serious and therefore acceptable to my uptight faction, but it's never been fully successful. The one time I tried dyeing my hair was a grand failure, so I've tolerated the teasing grudgingly, but something about this big ape in front of me rubs me the wrong way.

"No, and don't call me that." I hiss in return.

Surprise flashes in his eyes for the second time and he leans down again, his breath hot on my neck as he growls into my ear. "I'll call you whatever I want to initiate. See, you choose Dauntless, which means you chose me. I'm your leader now and this year I'm also a trainer. You're mine and you're getting on my bad side quick. Now fall the fuck in line or I will pick up that sweet little ass and toss it over there. Pick fast."

He raises his head again and I see that he's one hundred percent serious. He will pick up my sweet little, uh... me and throw me into the Dauntless section if I don't move fast. And, _fuck,_ he's going to be my trainer? _Okay, move now, panic later Mads._

I hurry to the Dauntless session, and the applause, which has been scattered as everyone wonders what I'm doing up there shaking my head at the Dauntless leader starts up again and I get a few shoulder claps as I sit down. My heart is racing and as I look back up at the stage, he's still watching me, although he's already called out another name and is holding out the knife for them. He pulls his gaze from me at the last moment, focussing on the dependant in front of him and I relax back into my chair. I avoid looking up for the rest of the ceremony and my thoughts circle furiously in my head. _What the hell just happened here?_ I accidentally chose the wrong faction and now I'm stuck with it. To be honest, I've never heard of this happening before, has it never truly happened? Or has everyone else been shut down like I just was? How many factionless had started out just like me?

The ceremony ends and Dauntless is the first faction to stand, I'm still not sure what I'm going to do but I do know I'm not going to be left behind right now so I stand and join the crush. We fly down the stairs, running way too fast to be safe and rather than being scared, I find myself laughing with the rest. We race out onto the street and start jogging towards the train trestles and my heart starts to hammer, I've never really been a climber. A few skinned palms and knees later, I manage to reach the top and, _Jesus Christ_ , we're not done yet, now we have to jump onto a moving goddamn train. Well, I'm not dying or being left behind without pleading my case first, so I start sprinting beside the train like everyone else and, I'm not sure how, but I jump and manage to grab the handle, pulling myself into the car. Panting, I collapse, falling against the wall beside another initiate. She glances at me, gives me a nervous smile then goes back to observing the rest of the train's occupants. She's dressed in Erudite blue and has a blunt black bob.

I smile at her, make a stab at being friendly. "Hi, I'm Madeline well, Mads."

She smiles back and replies. "Raye."

Far too soon our ride is over and I see the initiates at the front of the train car start to jump back _off_ the train. Raye and I share an incredulous look and stand, shuffle out nervously to the edge of the car.

"Well," I mumble, "see you over there." Without waiting, I fling myself off, hear Raye right behind me. The landing hurts more than I thought, but my palms and knees are already skinned, so whatever. A loud woman's voice calls us over to another side of the roof. Raye and I stay close to each other and cluster in with the rest. Two women stand by the ledge, both are petite; one has short blonde hair the other had dark skin and hair. I recognize the second girl, Christina Stevenson, she was two years ahead of me in Candor before transferring to Dauntless. Her sister is in my year, chose to stay in Candor. Both women are heavily pregnant.

"I'm Tris and this is Christina, we are two of your leaders. To get into Dauntless, you need to jump off this ledge here." Tris gestures and the pack of initiates shift uneasily. _Jump off a building?_

"Who's going first?" Christina asks.

We're all looking at each other, not meeting the two leader's eyes and I sigh. _To hell with this_ , I need to get into the compound and find someone who can get me out of this jam. I step forward, noting the surprise on their faces. I'm a little surprised myself at my gumption.

Knees shaking only slightly I clamour up the ledge and stand up straight. Looking down all I can see is a black hole, _great._ I glance back over my shoulder then look forward again. Taking a deep breath, I jump.

I fall forever before crashing into what feels like a net. It hurts but I'm so relieved to not be falling anymore. The net tilts and I roll to the side. Hands catch me and lift me out, setting me on the ground. The hands belong to a tall dark haired man with a serious expression. He looks down at me, his blue eyes intense. "Name?"

I'm still disoriented from the jump, hell, I'm discombobulated from the whole f-ing day so far, so when I open my mouth, the first thing that comes out is my last name.

"Uh, Fawkes-"

He looks away and barks, "first jumper, Fox!"

"No, I-" _Great, not only am I in the wrong fucking faction, but now I_ _'_ _m going to be called by the wrong fucking name too._

"Just go over there," he points irritably and dazed, I comply, stopping and turning to look back at the net to watch the next jumper. I don't recognize the boy, he's Dauntless born and after a quick word with the man at the net, I hear, "second jumper, Maddox!"

I hear a door open and slam closed somewhere behind me and then a voice speaks low in my ear.

"You're first? What, did the girls throw you off?"

I bite back a squeak of surprise and whirl to see the leader from the ceremony, the one who threatened to throw my sweet ass into the Dauntless section. For so big a guy, he sure moves quietly. He smirks at me and crosses his arms over his massive chest, raising an eyebrow, he's waiting for an answer.

"No," I grumble, turning back as the fourth jumper is called, I missed the third when Lurch here startled me. I hear a faint chuckle and grit my teeth.

Soon all the initiates have jumped and the Unfriendly Giant calls for our attention.

"Dauntless born go with Lauren, the rest of you lucky bastards stay here with me." A little more than half of the group splits off and the rest of us instinctively cluster together, Tris and Christina have reappeared and stand behind us. He stares at each of us in turn, lingering a little longer on me before speaking.

"I'm Eric, I'm Head Initiation Leader. Normally Tris and Christina would be your trainers, but they both decided to get knocked up this year and so the honour falls to me." He smirks at the two woman and I catch Christina rolling her eyes good-naturedly back. "Follow me!" He barks, stalking off without waiting to see if any of us follow.

 _Shit,_ I think as I follow him, trying not to get lost in the maze of corridors he's leading us through. _He_ _'_ _s the Head Initiation Leader? That means his word is law about me staying here in Dauntless._ My heart sinks, I doubt he'll be any more accommodating the second time I try to explain what happened, he doesn't strike me as someone who ever goes back on a decision once he's made it. _Shit, I am so screwed._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews and views! Enjoy more of Eric and Fox.**

The next day is hell. I thought things were bad when Eric showed us our cots and communal bathroom, but life really gets special the next morning. Two Erudite transfers are late to training and Eric's laser beam focus hit them.

"Five laps!" He barks.

The initiates stand there, either defiant or confused, I couldn't tell which and a nasty smile turns his lips.

"Ten! Better get moving!"

The low growl that rumbles from his chest finally spurs these slow-learners into action and, after watching them shrewdly for a minute, he yells "faster!" and turns back to the rest of us.

"Alright, warm up! Five laps, get going!"

After two I'm nearly dying and I'm not the only one. I'm grabbing my side and panting, only my fear of being singled out and given more laps keeping me from collapsing to the ground. There's a stitch in my side and I taste copper in my mouth and I'm just about to say 'fuck it' and stop when a shadow falls over me.

"Giving up already?" Lurch sneers as he jogs easily beside me. _Fucker,_ he hasn't even broken a sweat.

I grit my teeth and dig deeper, some unknown part of me is loath to give in and let this arrogant bastard win. Part of me wants to show him I can do this, I can run his stupid laps. I don't answer and push myself harder, pretending I don't hear his soft chuckle behind me. _Bastard._

After laps he barely gives us time to grab a drink before we start to practise fight moves, punching and kicking at heavy bags. At first I feel like a complete fool, I can't duplicate the moves Eric is demonstrating, but I force myself to break down his movements in my mind and they start to make sense. After a while I even start to enjoy it, even though I still can't make the bag swing like most of the others; I eye the bag and run through Eric's instructions in my head.

I swing my leg to kick and suddenly large hands grip my waist, my kick goes off centre and I squeak.

"Move your right leg further ahead," Eric murmurs in my ear, his breath warm on my neck. His knee bumps the back of mine, pushing it further ahead and his hands pull at my waist, turning me slightly away from the bag. His right hand moves down from my hip and stops high up on the curve of my outer thigh. I try to ignore the heat his hand generates. "Now kick out and follow through."

I do and the bag swings a little. I turn to smile my thanks but the Neanderthal has already stepped away, ignoring me as he moves to the next initiate. I feel stupid as he corrects her stance the same way, bumping her knee and turning her waist the same way and the small hint of inclusion, of friendliness I thought he was extending me withers away.

* * *

I'm starving when we break for lunch and find a seat next to Raye to tiredly eat my sandwich. Tris and Christina sit across from us and offer smiles.

"How's training going?" Tris asks kindly.

"Eric's a sadistic bastard." I grumble and Raye snorts into her water.

"He's tough yes, but come to us if he's unfair." Tris instructs and I nod, relieved someone is looking out for us.

"I'm not even supposed to be here," I confess, emboldened by their concern.

The leaders trade a glance then Christina says, "what do you mean, initiate?"

I explain what happened in a low voice, skipping the part where Eric called my ass 'sweet' and the leader's foreheads furrow.

"And you told Eric it was a mistake, that you meant Erudite?" Tris clarifies.

I nod emphatically, "yes, I got Erudite as my result; I've always loved learning and reading."

Christina leans over, murmurs into Tris' ear. After a moment she sits back up and says, "we'll talk to Eric, see what can be done."

A wave of relief washes over me and I feel the stirrings of hope, maybe I can still get out of here. Raye elbows me.

"We should get going or we'll be late."

Not ready to run more laps I leap to my feet, but Tris and Christina smile at us.

"You have the two of us next, weapons training; you still have a few minutes."

I smile in thanks and walk, rather than run from the mess hall.

* * *

The afternoon is much more relaxed. Christina and Tris, although professional and firm manage not to be assholes at the same time and I find myself really listening to their instructions, wanting to shoot well and please them. My arms are killing me, and my eyes are scratchy and sore from focussing on the targets, but I enjoyed the afternoon's lesson way more than the morning; I'm almost skipping to the mess hall. Tris and Christina promised to talk to Eric about my situation at supper, and I hope that by tomorrow morning I'm on my way to the right faction. I'll miss Raye and Tris and Christina for that matter, but I'd much rather be in Erudite and away from Lurch and his scowls.

Maddox the second jumper and another Dauntless born named Pax sit with us at supper and I can't help but notice how handsome Pax is, with thick brown hair and killer green eyes, but I shouldn't pay too much attention, not if I'm leaving tomorrow. I see Tris and Christina come in and my stomach drops at their expressions. They move to sit at our table but before they can say a word to me Eric comes into the mess hall and beelines towards us. He fixes his glare at me and crooks his finger. _You come here, now,_ his eyes burn.

 _Oh fuck._

Christina turns and speaks to him and they get involved in a heated but rapid muttered exchange before Christina huffs and steps back, shooting me an apologetic look as she sits down beside Tris. Eric watches her sit then turns his glare back to me, his pierced brow raising in question. _You_ _'_ _re still fucking sitting there? Get up and get over here initiate, NOW._

Stumbling, I rise to my feet and clasp my hands together to hide their shaking as I follow him out of the mess hall. He storms down a deserted corridor and I jog to keep up, wondering if he's planning on throwing me into the Chasm. He stops and whirls back towards me so abruptly that I crash full tilt boogie into him. I'd have fallen right onto my ass if he didn't reach out instantly and grab my arm; instead of just keeping me from falling however, he pulls me to the side and I crash painfully into the stone wall. His hands hit the stone on either side of my head and he leans down, caging me with his body. He doesn't say anything for a long moment and I reluctantly raise my head to meet his eyes.

Immediately I drop my gaze, wishing I hadn't looked, he's furious.

"What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Trying. To. Do?" His voice is low and deadly and a shiver runs down my spine.

I decide the best answer right now is none at all and I concentrate on staring at my toes. His fist hits the stone again and I flinch but keep my silence. Finally he exhales hard and grips my chin, lifting my head; his fingers are hard and they hurt, but the deadly rage I sensed before is dissipating. Reluctantly I raise my eyes to his.

His steel grey eyes are narrowed and although he's not raging anymore, he's still pissed; his jaw is clenched tightly as he growls, "well?"

I swallow painfully. "I told you. I picked the wrong faction, I meant to choose Erudite, but my hand moved and my blood fell on Dauntless instead. My aptitude is for Erudite."

"So?"

I frown in confusion, what the fuck does he mean, _so?_ "Well, you should let me go to the right faction-"

Eric throws back his head and laughs. Sudden anger courses through me and I push sharply against my chest. Eric stumbles back a half-step but instantly lunges forward again, his hands gripping my upper arms hard enough to bruise, my skull thumping painfully against the wall again.

"Careful, initiate." He growls, his face inches from mine.

I'm smart enough to know when to back down, and right now is a bright, shining example. I swallow and nod. This seems to appease him somewhat and he releases my arms, moving back one step. I dart sideways to put more distance between us but he moves with me and I freeze again.

"I have made my decision. Whether you meant to or not, your blood dripped onto Dauntless coals. Running to _Trissy_ and _Chrissy_ isn't going to change that. Do not try to go behind my back again."

I nod humbly and turn to leave but he growls again, "I'm not done yet."

 _Shit,_ I turn back to him and wait.

He smiles sadistically. "Report to the training room in a half-hour."

"Why?" I blurt.

His smile grows even more evil, if that was even possible. "Your punishment."

He turns and storms away, leaving me to stand there, wondering what the hell he's going to make me do.

I'm not shaking anymore, but my upper arms still tingle by the time I get back to the mess hall and sit back down beside Raye. Tris speaks up before anyone else.

"I'm sorry Fox, we tried to talk to Eric but he's not the most reasonable person."

I lift my head and smile; they tried and they didn't have to. "It's okay. I have to try my best, I don't want to be factionless... I won't be factionless."

Christina and Tris share a grin and Christina says with a hint of pride, "That's a Dauntless attitude."

I shrug, really what choice do I have now? Lurch the Unreasonable is playing the Almighty Ruler card, he won't even entertain the possibility of my going to Erudite. Dauntless is better than factionless...I think. So now, failure isn't an option, it's got nothing to do with a 'Dauntless attitude', it's changing my goals and expectations to have a tolerable future.

I wait a few minutes, picking at my food. I've lost my appetite, my mind is reeling, my thoughts flying in all directions. _What the hell kind of punishment is the Neanderthal going to gift me with? He_ _'_ _s probably endlessly creative when it comes to tormenting initiates._ I stand and Raye looks at me in surprise.

"Where are you going? You haven't eaten anything."

I glance at the clock. "Training room, my punishment for going behind Eric's back."

A dark look passes over the female leader's faces and Christina opens her mouth but I wave my hand.

"No biggie, don't bother. He seems the petty type, if I complain about this he'll just make the rest of my training that much worse."

The leaders trade a glance but don't dispute me. I give a brave smile that doesn't make me feel any braver and leave. I want to stop by the dorm and change my shirt.

* * *

I make it to the training room with three minutes to spare, but I'm not surprised to see Eric is already there, leaning against a pillar. He glances up when I enter and his eyes immediately flick to the clock. _Not today, dickhead. I_ _'_ _m not late today._

He pushes away from the pillar and stalks towards me and I force myself to stand my ground. If he's surprised at my refusing to back down he doesn't show it, brushing past me without a word. I stand there dumbly for a moment before it dawns on me that I'm supposed to follow him. I jog to catch up then manage to stay within a few feet, far enough away to avoid crashing into the colossal prick if he decides to stop suddenly again. He turns down a few corridors before stopping in front of a pair of doors. Wordlessly he unlocks them and walks through. I follow and my nose instantly wrinkles at the smell. He sees my expression and smirks.

"Gun oil princess. This is part of the armoury. Your punishment tonight is to clean these rifles." He gestures to an untidy pile of guns and I eye him until he rolls his eyes and snaps, "what?"

"I don't know how to clean guns."

He scoffs and I'm suddenly tempted to kick him in the shins, probably wouldn't even faze the big gorilla though. "I know. What would a Candor smart ass know about anything practical anyway? All your faction knows how to do is pry into everyone else's business. I'll show you once, then you're doing it yourself. You wanted Erudite, you must be smart enough to figure it out after that."

I raise my eyebrows at his bitter speech. _Issues much, Goliath?_

He points irritably to a chair and, as I sit down he hands me a rifle and a cloth. I watch carefully while he demonstrates what to do. He may have been pissy about showing me what to do, but he's capable of patient instruction. He finishes his rifle and sets it into a rack. Wiping his hands clean of gun oil he picks up the tablet he brought with him and sits back down in his own chair. Kicking back he rests his feet on the table and begins tapping at the screen. _Lecture over._

I clean in silence for awhile, and find the task surprisingly satisfying. The gun oil even starts to smell nice after awhile. I don't mind the silence either, it's not entirely uncomfortable, with Lurch banging away at his poor tablet. About half way through my punishment he surprises me.

"So what does a smart ass do in her spare time then?"

I blink in surprise. Being asked about my hobbies was near the bottom of the list of questions I expected from Eric tonight, ranked only slightly above 'do you want to go out with me?'

"I read." I answer coolly.

"Picture books or real novels?"

It's my turn to smirk, whether he's serious or not talking about books in any way is welcome to me.

"Novels."

"Any favourites?"

I consider a smart ass answer, but stop myself. Pissing off Gigantor isn't going to further my cause here in Dauntless, and I'd really like to talk literature with someone, even if it's Eric the dick.

"Don't laugh...but I love Stephen King. He was a genius."

Eric surprises me again by pursing his lips thoughtfully. "He was pretty good...any in particular?"

I'm not entirely sure I'm not goose-stepping merrily into a trap, but I answer anyway, something about Eric actually knowing about books sparks my interest. "Pet Semetary, Misery, Cell, I can't pick just one."

Eric smirks and floors me again. "I'm partial to the Dark Tower series myself."

My jaw must be hanging because he huffs in exasperation. "I do know how to read, Red."

"Mads," I mumble softly.

"What?"

"My name is Madeline, everyone calls me Mads. When I fell in the net the guy who caught me heard me wrong and called me Fox."

Eric chuckles, "that sounds like Four; stiff's a little slow... Fox huh? That'll work with that fucking hair of yours."

I blush angrily and growl. "I said my name is Mads."

He laughs out loud and I realize my faux pas. 'Mads' and I said it mad, _fuck my life sometimes._

"You ever read 'The Long Walk'?" He's stopped laughing and is back at poking at his tablet.

"The Bachman book? No, I could never find a copy; not all his books survived the war."

"Well, _Fox,_ " he throws extra emphasis on the word, telling me that Fox is going to be my name here at Dauntless whether I want it or not, "you finish this in the next hour and I'll lend you my copy."

I narrow my eyes suspiciously at him, biting my lip to keep from whooping. Pre-war books are a precious commodity, they aren't just lent out willy nilly.

"You actually have a copy, and you'd be willing to let me read it?"

"You're not the only one in Dauntless who can read Princess and yeah, but you've only got 59 minutes left."

It hits me like a slap and I blurt out before my mind can tell me to shut up, "you were Erudite, weren't you?"

His finger pauses on the screen and I freeze, did I just burn what little common ground I've managed to find with my trainer? After a long moment he just growls, "get back to work, Red."

I drop my head.

I set the last rifle in the rack and look up at clock. I've finished with seven minutes to spare. I'm wiping my hands clean when Eric finally notices and sets his tablet aside. He stands and stretches his hands to the ceiling. His shirt pulls up and I can't help but notice the enticing slice of skin that appears above his belt. He catches me looking and I go beet-red, turning away in mortification. His chuckle only furthers my humiliation and I clear my throat, taking a deep breath before turning back around. I squeak in surprise, again, for so massive a man, he sure moves quietly. He now stands only two feet away from me. If my nose wasn't so full of the smell of gun oil I'd have caught that unique masculine spice scent of his, part leather, part musk, part mystery.

I take a step back and he follows, advancing another step towards me. The look in his eye is no longer benign and teasing. My heart begins to hammer in my chest. He silently closes the distance between us, moving so close I could reach up and cup his cheek...you know, if I wanted to, which I don't. His eyes are a darker grey than I remember and he seems taller somehow. He drops his head slowly until his breath is warm on my cheek.

"Like what you see...Fox?" My name is a caress on his tongue.

I swallow hard and take a deliberate step back. _Fuck he smells good...shut up Mads!_ "I'm just surprised I didn't see scales is all."

He snickers and straightens up. Grabbing his tablet he moves to the door and I hesitate before following. We're halfway back to the dorms before he speaks again.

"I'll get you the book tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you everyone! This story was fun to write :)**

I'm not sure what is going wrong today, but I'm not feeling very confident with my punches and kicks. It's mid-afternoon after a morning of drills and Eric has us paired up with each other, I guess actually hitting someone instead of a heavy bag is where I'm having the trouble. I wanted to be paired with Raye, but Eric decided our partners for us and so I'm practising with an Erudite boy named Ethan. He's taller than me and more muscular and my lip still stings from his last hit; I'm rapidly losing my aversion to pulling my punches, the Nose is starting to get on my nerves.

I'm too slow to avoid his next punch and spots flash in my eyes as I stagger backwards. I would have just kept stumbling until I fell down on my ass if a powerful pair of arms didn't suddenly band around me. Crashing into a rock-hard chest doesn't help my disorientation, but at least my ass won't be bruised too. Eric stands me up far gentler than I expected him to and leans in front of my face. I'm not sure what I'm expecting based on how he caught me, but the anger in his eyes surprises me anyway.

"Fight back initiate, he's kicking your ass."

Frustration flares through me and I can't avoid snapping angrily back, "I'm trying, you giant ass! Try teaching us something instead of just bitching!"

Silence falls instantly around the room and I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth. _Oh shit, I haven_ _'_ _t just poked the bear, I_ _'_ _ve kicked him right in the balls._

The look on Eric's face chills my blood and I start planning the color scheme of my cardboard box for when he kicks me out of Dauntless. Even Ethan, who was grinning so cockily just a minute before looks pale.

I see Eric is visibly holding himself back when he grits, "that mouth is going to get you in real trouble, Red. Start running laps until I decide how I'm going to properly shut you up."

I swallow hard and jog away, my blood cold. The anxiety I'm feeling only increases as I run the track. I have a feeling that Eric is going to leave me here for awhile, so I slow my pace enough that I'll be comfortable for a long time. I see the Neanderthal glance at me occasionally as I pass, but he doesn't say anything about my pace. Even though I'm not pushing myself, I'm still tired and sweating by the time Gigantor ends the class and bellows at me to 'get your ass over here!', _what is it with him and my ass?_

I stop a few feet in front of him and bend forwards. The stitch in my side formed about three laps ago and my chest feels tight.

"You don't have much stamina, do you Red?" His tone is almost bored and, again, my mouth answers before my brain can edit the response.

"Considering I'm not even supposed to be here, I think I'm doing pretty good!" Groaning to myself, I drop my head, for an Erudite aptitude, I'm a surprisingly slow learner.

"There's that mouth again." His tone is almost conversational and that makes his next actions that much more unexpected. Hands grab my upper arms and I find myself bodily lifted off the ground. I happens so fast I can't even struggle before he slams me none too gently against the nearest pillar. I'm getting seriously tired of being manhandled by the big gorilla, but I know enough to keep that to myself, at least for now. I'm still not able to stop the flash of anger and frustration that flare in my eyes, but the returning look in his is far more dangerous. _Stop it, you idiot! Just stop provoking him!_

"I'm going to say this once more... you are here now, in Dauntless. If you fail, you're factionless, I'm not wasting my time training factionless, so decide now whether you're staying or not."

One last ripple of defiance. "What do you care anyways!" _For fucks sake, Mads._

His hands tighten painfully on my upper arms and I bite back a squeak. I don't fully catch nor understand the gamut of emotions that run through his eyes in the few seconds after my snarled retort, and even if I did catch them, I must be reading them wrong, why the hell would the Unfriendly Giant care whether I make it here or not? I pretend his next exhale doesn't have a slight tremor to it.

Unceremoniously he drops me to the ground and growls tiredly, "get out of here, Red. Talk back in class again and I won't just make you run laps."

I duck out before he can change his mind, and a small traitorous part of me entertains the notion of talking back again, just to see what he has in mind.

I manage to stay below the radar for the next few days. Eric corrects my form a little aggressively on two separate days, but I keep my mouth shut. He never does lend me the goddamn book. We've moved onto knife throwing with Tris and Christina and I'm surprised to find I have a natural talent at it, that and I'm imagining the Neanderthal's face on every target.

Supper tonight in the mess hall is loud and boisterous as usual. The crowd at the table I sit at has grown to include not only myself, Raye, Maddox and Pax, but their friends from Dauntless too. Now that I've accepted my fate here, I'm free to contemplate just how handsome Pax is, and he seems to appreciate me back. He makes sure to sit next to me and makes little excuses to brush against my hands or legs as we eat. It's nice to be noticed and have someone appreciate your company, but for some reason my heart isn't in it totally.

Raye suddenly slams her metal cup down, startling the rest of us.

"We should get tattoos." She says bluntly.

It's on the tip of my tongue to say no, not because I'm against body art, but because we should probably wait until we _are_ Dauntless to start looking Dauntless, but Pax is grinning widely at me, his hands cupping my cheeks and I find myself agreeing.

Considering it was her idea, Raye is taking a long time to decide on what she wants, and Maddox has decided to help her. It's amusing to watch him point out design after design, only to have Raye shake her head again and again. I've already chosen mine, and I'm waiting for the next available artist. Pax decided quickly too and is already laying on the table. He's picked a roaring lion's head on his chest. I doubt it hurts as much as he's pretending it is, but it gave him the excuse to grab my hand and I've decided to play along. My hand even strokes his thick hair back from his forehead and I feel slightly guilty at the hope that flashes in his eyes.

"Uh, Mads?" The artist named Bud calls from his table, still cleaning from his last client and I move to stand.

Pax pulls on my hand and grins hopefully. "A kiss to help the pain?"

I smirk and plant a kiss on his cheek, ignoring the way his head turns to try and meet my lips and straighten. Movement at the front of the shop catches my eye and I see a familiar broad back storming away. _Why would Eric be down here with the mortals? Doesn_ _'_ _t he have tortures to invent, punishments to mete out?_

It bothers me far more than it should as I sit and lean back, waiting for Bud to begin _._

"Oh wow, Mads. That looks great." Raye smiles. She's finally decided on a design and is waiting for Bud to finish with me. He's slathering on a layer of healing cream, and when he's done, he hands me the tube and I stand. Pax _was_ acting, it didn't hurt that bad. I chose a tiny Phoenix, smaller than a plum, on the tender triangle of skin where my neck and left collarbone meet. Pax tries to stroke it with his thumb but I sidestep him, mumble about fresh ink and smearing, I'm still turning over Eric's departure in my mind. I can't think of what would make him so angry, so I push it from my thoughts, determined to ignore it.

Raye's design is elaborate and large and I find myself yawning before she's finished. She sees me and smirks.

"Go back to the dorms, you're making me yawn too."

"Whatever," I grin back, throwing her an air-kiss and leaving. Pax and Maddox had already left a few minutes ago, one of their buddies had swung by, chattering excitedly about an Xbox tournament at Dawson's and they'd ran away him. I _was_ tired, since I'd come to the realization that I was stuck here in Dauntless, and that I certainly didn't want to be factionless, I was working myself harder and harder every day. I usually spent an extra hour after class in the training room, working on my cardio or practising hitting the heavy bag; so far no one had said anything, and I was finding the physical part of training easier. I had come to Dauntless with a scholar's body, soft and pliant; naturally slim but lacking muscle definition, and I couldn't stop from grinning at the new muscles I saw each day in the mirror, maybe I would fit in here after all.

I found myself in a deserted corridor, my mind tends to wander and my body always seems to choose the quietest routes while I'm otherwise distracted, so this isn't new and doesn't bother me, but the footsteps I hear falling in time with my own do spark a flame of concern. A hand bands around my arm and I'm pushed against the wall. My first fight in Candor would have been to scream, but, with training here in Dauntless, it's to fight back. My knee is blocked by a thick thigh and I throw a punch with my free hand. It's caught and my stalker finally speaks.

"What are you doing out here alone, Red? It's embarrassing how easily I overpowered you, have you learned nothing in my class?"

Again, my mouth merrily skips ahead without my brain. "It's hard to learn in your class when all I hear is a giant ass braying." Instantly I cringe internally but Eric surprises me by laughing.

"You and that mouth, Red; what am I going to do with you?"

"Leave me alone for one," I spit, and instantly regret it when the good humour in his eyes disappears. When he laughed I caught the faint hint of alcohol, I should be treading more carefully.

His hands tighten on my upper arms, and his large body has me trapped against the wall. The heat radiating off his body is strangely comforting, and I must be more tired than I first thought, because the thought of leaning into that heat flits briefly through my mind.

His hand leaves my arm and drops onto my shoulder. His thumb strokes my new tattoo and he makes a low sound of appreciation in his throat. "Nice, small and subtle for your first."

"How do you know it's my first?" Again with the mouth.

"I can tell, you're Candor, your aptitude was Erudite, you're used to being the good girl, good girls don't have tattoos."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah." His head lowers and I inhale sharply as his lips take over from his thumb, caressing my skin. His tongue is warm and soft over my tender tattooed skin and a moan leaves my mouth before I can clamp it shut. His lips leave my shoulder and crush to mine.

It's his turn to moan, a deep visceral groan deep in his chest as his lips press to mine. They are soft and warm and a flash of heat shoots through me. His tongue slides along my bottom lip and I open my mouth, I _want_ him inside. He groans again as our tongues slide against each other and his hand curls into my hair, pulling me closer to him. I've never been kissed like this before, have never felt such a visceral shock like this before. I press against his body, my mind is temporarily stunned, sitting on its haunches, dazed and my body has grabbed the ball and is running for the net. He's all hard muscle and heat, strength and power and it sends a shiver through me, drawing an appreciative moan from Eric's chest again. His arms tighten around me and I feel him hard against my thigh.

Suddenly, he pulls away, panting heavily. He leans forward, resting his forehead to mine and I can only exist right now, breathe and stay standing, any thoughts are gone.

"Fox," he whispers, still breathing hard. His fingers are curled against the back of my head, his other hand still strokes my new tattoo.

"Eric," I whisper back.

"I- I don't know what this is... you're doing something to me... something powerful and I can't fight it anymore... I don't _want_ to anymore... fuck, if you knew what you were making me think, making me do... fuck, baby."

My heart jumps, I've been consciously doing nothing. The word 'baby' coming from his lips is like a caress, a gentle stroke from one of those surprisingly gentle hands. I'm not ready for this, this is _Eric,_ the towering giant who exists only to make our training misery, whose sole purpose here in Dauntless is to produce soldiers, who won't let me _go home._

He's waiting for my response, his chest still heaving with exertion and I will never admit how good his hands feel touching me, how amazing his kiss was, how my heart is nearly exploding. I can't do this right now, this isn't how things are supposed to be.

I pull sharply away, and whether he lets me or I surprised him I don't know. I don't look back as I sprint away, pretend I don't hear him call my name, pretend I don't hear the sorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Jesus wept... now what?**

The next week is...fuck, I can't even. Eric ignores me and is a colossal prick to absolutely everyone. Punishments are thrown around like candy at a parade, and no one is safe. Fortunately, the day I get called out, so do four other people and we make a sorry sight dragging our asses around the track, only after an Erudite girl, Megan, pukes and passes out does he irritably tell us to piss off.

We've started fighting each other too, pairs are written on the board and we're expected to fight until one of us wins or the other concedes. I got royally beat in my first fight against Ethan, and woke up to Maddox and Pax carrying me to the infirmary. My next fight was better, but I got seriously lucky and I'm sure the only reason I won against Megan was because she tripped and fell onto my fist. I've started training after hours again; Eric leaves me completely alone, and I need the practice.

At night my dreams are confusing and vivid. At first they made no sense whatsoever, but gradually a constant theme has emerged. Eric. Always Eric, in some shape or form. At first he was a dark shadow, lurking and stalking, making me glance nervously over my shoulder as I ran down endless corridors; but now, he is no longer a shadow, I catch glimpses of him and he's not frightening anymore, he's sad, maybe even heartbroken. In a way, that's harder, I could fight against fear, but my heart is susceptible to sadness and misery. My parents always called my compassion for others a 'weak throwback to your mother's Abnegation side' and made me feel like less for it, but I've never been comfortable with another's emotional pain. It's worse with Eric, because I know that I'm the cause, and after my initial knee-jerk reaction in the corridor, my feelings are starting to change or, more likely, hidden ones are starting to surface.

I've had a lot of time to think, and my mind runs the gamut from confused to crystal clear, sometimes during the same damn thought; it's driving me insane. My tepid reaction to Pax's attentions is what's most telling, he's exactly the type of guy I'd have mooned over in Candor, but now, he's not enough. I'm not ready to chuck it all in and go running after Lurch though either; he's capable of an incredible level of assholery, and he's been ignoring me ever since our desperate kiss in the corridor. I'm not sure what that means, has he given up? Is he sullen and pouting? The man is a mystery; I had him pegged for a complete jerk, a sadistic bastard but the way he leaned against me in the corridor, the way he kissed me and ran his hands over my skin is the complete opposite of that, made my heart race like it never has before; but if I've screwed up that chance, I'm not going to beg for another.

* * *

I win handily in my second to last fight, kicking the ever-loving shit out of Megan's boyfriend, a fellow Erudite named Daniel. I feel a flash of pride, he was definitely one of the top fighters in our class, but I saw a clear opportunity and as it turns out, he possesses a glass jaw. Eric surprises me by actually acknowledging my victory, nodding in my direction with, is that a spark of pride?

Today was our last day of the first phase, our last fight and I was pit against Raye. I hate Eric for this, for making me fight my friend. I won, Raye conceding before I broke her arm in a submission hold and I spat angrily at Eric's feet as I stormed by.

I catch sight of his shadow leaving the training room later as I scan the rankings. I'm sixth, I am still in the running to be Dauntless.

* * *

There is no obnoxious clanging on the metal railing to wake us the next day. It is Visiting Day and basically a free-for-all, no scheduled activities. I have no idea if my parents are coming, Candor is not a touchy-feely faction and I'm sure I shocked them when I 'chose' Dauntless. I wander the Pit for awhile, meet Raye's parents, and am about to leave, go to the quiet reading ledge I've discovered by the Chasm when I hear my name called.

"Madeline?"

I turn in shock. Both of my parents stand there, stark in Candor black and white. I swallow hard and walk towards them. As usual, they have no reservations about saying their mind.

"What were you thinking? Transferring to Dauntless? You could do so much better!"

A knot of humiliation tightens in my chest, _was I that prejudiced when I was a dependent?_ Their intolerance shames me. I'm still formulating a response when I sense someone step beside me. A hand ghosts across my lower back, trailing fire and there is only one person in the city that I react to this way.

"Mr and Mrs Fawkes? I'm Eric, your daughter's trainer and Initiation Leader." His voice is smooth and diplomatic, but I see the tension in his jaw, he heard every word.

"Initiation Leader? You're a little young, aren't you?" My father, as per usual, has no filter; at Candor it was expected, here, it's just rude.

"Age is only a number, sir." I'm not sure if my father hears the warning in the word _sir_ but I do, and my heart starts to pound. Strangely though, I'm not anxious for my parents, I'm anxious for Eric, I don't want him to be subjected to the intolerances of my family.

My hand brushes his and I manage to hide my shock when he grabs it and holds tight. My parents may be wilfully blind to the virtues of other factions, but their laser vision doesn't miss this. I immediately don't like the calculating look on my mother's face; I can almost hear her thoughts out loud, _well, she_ _'_ _s chosen the heathen faction, but at least she_ _'_ _s attached herself to a leader, we haven_ _'_ _t totally raised a moron._

Suddenly I want out of this, I'm done. I'm not sure what I expected today, but I realize with a jolt that I'm past my past, I've moved on, my expectations are different, my values have changed. Dauntless may not be the 'intelligent' or the 'honest' faction, but it's mine goddammit, and I fit in. I'm not surprised when Eric catches onto these thoughts and squeezes my hand, it gives me the strength for my next words.

"Well, thank you for making the trip here. I'd like you to go now. Goodbye, Mother. Goodbye, Father." I take a step back, turn in tandem with Eric, leave my parents standing there in shock.

I don't even care anymore. I'm mortified when I start to sniffle. I try to pull my hand away from Eric's, my face burning. He says nothing, just hangs on and leads me to the stairs. We hit the top of the stairwell and I frown when Eric leads me to an unmarked door, he pushes it open and we're on a rooftop. His hand slackens slightly, letting me know I can let go if I want to, but I don't anymore and feel warm at the small smile that touches his lips.

He walks to the far side, around a small shed and leans against it. I lean on the wall beside him and look out over the city. The view here is different than Candor and I immediately fall in love with it. We don't speak for a long time and, like when we in the armoury, the silence is not uncomfortable.

I'm not sure what has changed, maybe it's seeing my old life and it's limited perspective, maybe just the passage of the last few weeks and my willing assimilation into Dauntless, but I no longer fight the realization that has been hovering over me. I've been fighting my fate and, like a true Dauntless, I'm ready to face it now.

I squeeze Eric's hand, and as he turns his head to look at me, I move to stand in front of him. His other hand gently grips my hip and pulls me closer. He doesn't say anything for a long time, just gazes at me and the softness in his eyes causes a heat to build in my chest. No one has ever looked at me this way before, and it doesn't scare like I thought it would, like it did in the empty corridor when Eric took a chance and confessed his feelings for me and I ran away from him. His hand leaves my hip and gently cups my cheek and I lean my face into his touch. Why did I fight this, it feels like coming home.

"Madeline," Eric whispers, his voice quiet.

I can't wait any longer and close the distance between us. His ragged exhale tells me how hard this has been for him, the desperate edge to his touch mirrors my own.

"It's Fox now," I murmur as his lips claim mine. I crush my mouth to his, I can't get close enough and his arms wrap around me, pull me against his chest. He groans as I wrap my leg around his hip and his knees give out. Slowly he slides down the wall, pulling me with him, until he's sitting on the roof and I'm straddling his lap. I feel him hard and hot beneath me and my heart starts to pound with anticipation. _I want this, and I want it now, I_ _'_ _ve wasted enough time._

I yank at his jacket while he does at mine and we pull reluctantly apart long enough to toss them away. His hands are hot on my skin as they slide under my shirt and pull it over my head. I'm wearing my favourite black lace bra and he groans in appreciation, dropping his head to kiss the tops of my breasts. As his hands reach up my back and undo my bra clasp I pull at his jeans zipper, reaching inside to stroke his cock. The sound he makes causes a shiver to run through me and his body physically jolts at my touch.

"Fuck baby," I hear him gasp and my body clenches. I pull away long enough to begin yanking at my own jeans and Eric's hands cover mine. He's panting for breath and his pupils are blown. "Are you sure? Out here? But aren't you a virgin?"

I clasp his face in one hand and reach back down to his cock with the other, his hiss is guttural and strained. "Yes, yes and yes," I breathe, dropping forward to kiss him again. I don't care where we are, I don't care if this isn't the most romantic of settings, what matters to me is the man below me, the man I am seconds away from connecting with. Damn him, he tries to pull away one more time.

"Fox," he groans, "a condom."

I stand and yank my jeans down, kicking them off furiously, my underwear follows but Eric snatches them from my hand before they can join the pile of discarded clothing. He stuffs them into his pocket as I hook my fingers into his belt loops and pull, he raises his hips to help. His jeans join the growing pile of clothes and I straddle his lap again, some buried instinct of mine makes me roll my hips against him and Eric drops his head back with a groan. I remember his earlier protest and whisper into his ear.

"I'm on the shot...hurry up and _touch_ me, goddammit."

The strangled moan that leaves his mouth makes the tingling between my legs grow. His hand cups me there and it feels good, it feels _right_. I moan his name and he groans mine in response. I shudder as I feel him push a finger inside of me and after a second of it feeling foreign it starts to feel good and I grind myself down on him.

"Fuck, baby you're so fucking hot," he gasps, his face buried in my neck as he adds another finger, stretching me wider. I know what is going to happen next, I know it will hurt at first, and I still want it. His fingers inside me are stroking some magic place inside me and the most amazing sensation is building in me. I try to speak and manage only a whimper instead, but Eric knows what is happening.

"That's it baby, let go. Come for me," his words are a powerful caress, his voice straining with lust and the tingling overwhelms me. I'd be embarrassed by the sounds I'm making if it wasn't for how turned on they seem to be making Eric. I collapse against him, can't stop myself from trembling. I'm super sensitive and Eric slowly withdraws his hand, his chest heaving.

"Oh god-" I can't finish and Eric's low chuckle vibrates against me. "Does it always feel like that?"

"Yes, if you want it to."

"I do," I breathe, rolling my hips again. "Please Eric."

His hand touches me again, then strokes down his length, spreading my juices to ease his passage. Holding himself steady, he meets my eyes, his other hand on my hip, helping guide me down. I gasp as the head of his thick cock touches my folds and Eric drops his head back with a hiss, gritting his teeth. I lower myself further, forcing myself to relax and accept the strange intrusion. Eric is large and he's stretching me almost too painfully, but I want this too much to back down now. I hit resistance, realize I'm at the last barrier of my virginity and bite my lip. No pain, no pleasure, if my first time is a gift, I want to give it to Eric. His groan is ragged as I push past the pain, as I take Eric's whole length inside me, his thighs quiver beneath me.

"Fox," his voice is threadbare, a gasp. His muscles tremble. I pause, giving both of us a minute to recover, then, instinct takes over and I stop thinking. I rise up, pulling almost completely free before lowering myself down again, and his cock glides deliciously inside me, the pain is already gone. His hands grip my hips hard enough to bruise and I curl against him, our heads press into the crook of each other's neck. A desperation takes hold of me, and I gasp Eric's name as he thrusts upwards, filling me completely, setting off more of the delicious tingles I felt before. Our bodies move as one, each thrust brings me closer and closer to the edge. His rough grunts and groans in my ear, the desperate way he gasps my name, his hands holding me almost suffocatingly close as his hips thrust upwards into me ignite an inferno inside me and I let it consume me, let it explode outward and envelop Eric too.

I scream his name as my orgasm hits, as I convulse in his arms and bare seconds later he joins me, roaring in his own release. I feel warmth as he pulses inside me and a bone-deep satisfaction, _a rightness_ flows through me as his hips continue to snap erratically below me, his roar trailing off to a ragged groan. His head drops into my neck as he pants, as aftershocks race through his body and make his muscles jump. I'm spent, exhausted as I curl against his chest, but as soon as he withdraws from my body I want him again. I whimper and cling to him, relief flooding me when he pulls me close, buries his head in my hair and presses a tender kiss to my throat. It's almost embarrassing at the level of vulnerability I'm willing to show Eric right now, but then, he's baring his heart to me too.

"Take me to your apartment," I breathe into his neck and Eric groans against my skin.

"I'll never let you leave if I do," his whisper is harsh and possessive.

"Good."

Reluctantly we part to dress, and as I'm pulling my shirt down Eric's hands run hot over my ribs, pulling me back against his chest, my ass bumps his hips; he is ready again, hard for me and a delicious shiver runs through me at the thought that me, my body, my mind is affecting him so strongly. His lips caress my ear then he whispers.

"Go ahead to my apartment, the door code is 74290. I'll be right there."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to talk to Four, get him to erase the security camera footage."

My heart skips, "you mean, they saw us?"

His breath is warm as his tongue joins his lips and I fight not to whirl in his arms and start ripping at his clothes again.

"No, not up here; they saw us in the stairwell, they'll see you go to my apartment."

I don't want to hide, we shouldn't have to and I say as much.

"Baby, I don't want to either, but until you're done training, we have to be discreet."

It's on the tip of my tongue to say 'fuck discreet' but Eric already knows me too well. "It's just for a few more weeks, we're starting the second stage tomorrow, stay calm Red."

I scoff and playfully try to pull away, "stop calling me that."

"What should I call you then?" He lets me pull away to arm length, his hand still holding mine.

I take a chance, hope I'm not wrong, but Dauntless are brave. "How about 'mine'?"

Eric goes still, his eyes widen slightly and I can almost hear his heart pounding. He pulls me roughly towards him, cups my cheek. His voice is guttural and rough when he speaks again. "Are you? Mine?"

"Do you want me?" I counter, holding out my heart, waiting.

The low sound he makes almost stops my heart, it is single-handedly the most possessive and ardent, most worshipful and passionate noise I have ever heard another person make. He pulls me to him, crushing me against his muscular chest and his arms band tightly around me. His breath is slightly unsteady in my ear as his cheek rests against my hair and for a long moment he doesn't speak. Then he exhales and presses a kiss to my forehead, his hand strokes gently along my cheek and he whispers in my ear.

"Yes."

I make a quick detour to the dorms to grab a change of clothes before going to Eric's apartment. Fortunately, no one is there, and no one sees me leave. I'm equally lucky in the hallways and corridors and only manage to enter Eric's door code wrong once before I get it right.

His apartment in spartan and bare, no personal touches. I'm thirsty, so I walk into the kitchen and fill a glass. Fortunately, I look at the fridge before I take a drink however, or I would have choked; as it is, unexpected tears hit my eyes. There is a picture of me on the fridge, just a small one, but it's there; in a living space where there is nothing that looks to be important or sentimental, he has a picture of me.

It must be a capture from the security cameras, I remember the situation. Just a few days into initiation, Raye had bet Maddox she could eat more Dauntless cake than him at supper. The picture is zoomed in on me, as both Raye and Maddox shovel cake into their mouths like animals. I normally don't care for photographs of myself, but I like this one. My head is thrown back and I'm laughing. My hair is loose and like a wave around my face. I look carefree and alive, my eyes are sparkling with humour and amusement. The picture is crinkled on one corner and I reach my fingertip out to touch it, draw back sharply. The paper crinkles under my finger in the exact pattern already there, and I realize with a tingle that Eric had done the same thing to this picture many times, stood in front of it and ran a fingertip along my image; my heart hammers in my chest.

My encounter with my parents has left me feeling dirty, and although I'm loath to wash Eric's scent off me, I decide to have a shower. The water heats quickly and feels so much better than the showers in the dorm, which have the water temperature and pressure of a large dog above you pissing down your back. I shamelessly use Eric's shampoo, inhaling the scent deeply as I massage my scalp, the water feels amazing to my battered and training-bruised body. The ache between my legs lessens as the heat relaxes me, but I don't mind the pain. My feelings towards Eric have completely changed, shifted sharply in a direction I would never have even entertained before, and I feel no regret. The small part of my soul that paced restlessly inside me my whole life, made sure I never felt like I completely belonged wherever I was has fallen into contented silence, curling like a large cat and purring in the deepest recesses of my mind. The last person I expect to has completed me, fits me like the missing puzzle piece I have been subconsciously searching for.

Hands touch me and I jump slightly before relaxing back against Eric. He nuzzles into my neck, his chest pressing to my back and makes a happy little purring sound in his throat. The change that has come over him is remarkable as well and I regret the last few weeks. Large, powerful fingers trail across my collarbone before cupping my chin and turning my head to meet his mouth. Heat courses through me as his tongue slicks against mine and I turn in his arms, curling into his embrace. His hand reaches down and gently grips my waist, tracing lower down the back of my thigh and lifting my leg to curve around his hip. His unsteady exhale against my lips causes a shiver to run through me and I feel his body responding, hardening against me as he rocks his hips gently against mine.

I drop my head back as his lips trail down to my throat, his teeth nipping along my pulse point, his tongue following, lessening the sting. He picks my other leg up, so I'm straddling him again, pressed against the shower wall. His hand reaches, gently strokes into my folds, his fingers growing more insistent as I bit down on his earlobe, a hiss escaping his teeth.

A ragged groan tears from his chest as he pushes inside me and the brief flash of pain I experience is almost instantly taken over by pleasure.

"Fuck," he moans. "Baby, you feel so..." his words grow incoherent as he thrusts, his cock gliding inside me, going deeper with each stroke. He's brushing some secret place deep inside me and it sends shivers through my body. His body answers with a heavy shudder. I guide his mouth back to mine and he kisses me with unequalled passion, stealing my breath. His hips snap against mine and bliss shoots up my spine. The sensations he's waking in me are too much and I can only ride the wave helplessly, curl against Eric's heaving body, drown in ecstasy.

The wave crests and I buck against him, arch my spine and cry out, spots dancing in my eyes. I can't catch my breath as Eric's thrusts become erratic, as his grunts become harsh and rasp deep in his chest. With a groan he follows, his hips snapping one last time against me before pressing me to the wall. Panting, he sags against me, arms tightening and nuzzles into my neck. Gently he releases my legs so I can stand, and I feel his seed trickle warm down my thighs.

* * *

Later, after finishing our shower, we end up in bed; Eric hovers above me, resting on his forearms. Our lower bodies are connected, pressed together; Eric hard inside me but not moving. His lips caress my temple, my cheek, ghosting across my chin and throat and my body shudders at the low sounds he makes, the growls of satisfaction, the hum of erotic bliss. I feel safe and sheltered, secure and loved and realize as a tear trails down my temple that this is the first time I have truly felt this way, held in the arms of a man I considered an enemy not so long ago. He pulls back and thumbs the tear away, forehead furrowed.

"Fox?" He whispers, and I shake my head, smiling.

"Not sad...I've never felt this way before."

"Are you happy?" His voice is not entirely steady and I marvel again at the vulnerability.

"Yes." I murmur, pulling his face down to mine, pressing my lips to his. He moans and kisses me back, his hips beginning to move, pulling nearly free of my body before pushing slowly back in. He stretches against me, curling one hand into my hair as the other trails down to my breasts, and his mouth leaves mine to follow his hand and I find myself arching to his chest, wanting more, hardly able to breath for my sudden desire.

He makes love to me slowly, tenderly; his fingers gently feathering across my skin, gently gripping my chin as he claims my mouth again. His muscles bunch and flex under my fingers as I graze them across his back and down to his ass. He moans appreciatively as I draw my hand back up, curl it against the back of his head and pull him closer. He brings me to two shuddering climaxes before he allows himself to follow, groaning roughly into the crook of my neck as he comes, hips thrusting against mine and I hear him whisper my name as the last tremor runs through him, followed by 'I love you.'

He sleeps beside me, having pulled away only far enough to lay at my side, drawing me against his chest and nestling me tight to his body. He's different when he sleeps, the frown is gone, the sneer, the glint in the eyes that you don't know whether will flash into rage or scorn. His skin is smooth, pale; his lashes long and I can't stop staring at his lips, they don't belong on such a giant of a man. I stroke his hair back from his forehead and am rewarded with a contented sigh, a tightening of his arms and a sleepy, tender kiss to my shoulder.

I study his room as my eyelids grow heavy; There is nothing personal in the apartment because the small amount he holds dear is here, in his bedroom. One whole wall is dominated by large shelving units, full of books. An old map of pre-war North America is pinned to another. On his nightstand is the only other photograph he seems to have, and it is another picture of me. I remember this one too, I'm dressed in combat gear, fresh from my team's victory in Capture the Flag. Four took a picture of myself, Raye and Megan, the victorious three who found Eric's flag as we hold it, surrounded by our cheering team. He's cropped the picture to only show me, and I stand tall, my chin tipped up and my face proud, eyes glinting with challenge and excitement, my adrenaline still flowing. I remember the exact moment Four held up his phone and yelled at us to smile. I remember seeing Eric at the edge of the group, watching us, watching me, and my expression was solely for him.

* * *

The next few days are a mix of bliss and fear, heaven and hell. Because Eric is my trainer and I am his initiate, we need to hide our relationship, it's against the rules and I could be banished from the faction I've come to love if others find out. I can't go to him in the corridors, can't sit beside him in the mess hall, need to keep my eyes from following him. We've started the second phase of training, the fear simulations and even though the only place I feel safe now is in Eric's arm, I have to stay away. Only at night can I sneak away to his apartment, forget my fears and tension as we lay together, as I straddle his lap, his back to the headboard, our eyes locked, his hands strong on my back. Those few hours we are together are the only that I know peace. My fears pursue me, fear of abandonment, fear of public ridicule, fear of suffocation below ground. Eric holds me as I wake, crying or screaming, brushes the tears away and makes me forget and before I know it, I too am whispering 'I love you' against his ear.

We are less than a week into the second phase when Max, the head Leader of Dauntless summons me to his office.


	5. Chapter 5

I knock on Max's door, stubbornly refusing to show how anxious I truly am. Has someone figured out Eric and I? My anxiety only increases when I see Eric is already seated across from Max, his face grave. His smile for me doesn't reach his eyes. Max watches me approach and motions me to sit.

I lace my fingers together in my lap and wait, one thing I learned in Candor was to wait to speak in these type of situations.

Max exhales and begins to speak. "Madeline, I've called you here today because your parents have invoked The Fischer Statute."

I have no idea what that is, but the concern on both leader's faces makes me uneasy to find out.

"And what's the Fischer Statute?" I finally ask.

"A miserable legal loophole. Sixty-four years ago an initiate named Alexander Fischer managed to convince his faction leader that he had accidentally chosen the wrong faction during his ceremony. The faction leaders met and decided to transfer him to the faction of his choice."

 _What the fuck?_ "It's that easy? The leaders meet and you get moved?"

Max shakes his head. "No, if it was, initiates would be trading factions non-stop. To invoke the statute the family needs justifiable cause to bring to their leader. Deep pockets and powerful connections don't hurt, especially in certain factions. Your tested aptitude was for Erudite, and on more than one occasion, you expressed in front of witnesses your 'accidentally' choosing Dauntless at the ceremony. As your Initiation Leader, Eric had to fill out a report of your complaint, and even though that report is closed, it will be reopened and reviewed by the leader's council and the faction seniors they bring in as impartial participants. Any and/or all witnesses will be subpoenaed and made to testify at the council as to what they heard you say. The council will then convene and decide whether or not to move you."

Cold dread trickles down my spine and I think back to Visiting Day, the disapproval on my parent's faces. They have decided that Dauntless is unacceptable, are playing an obscure legal loophole to get their own way.

"But... how can they get involved? I'm not a dependent anymore."

"Initiates fall into a grey area, not quite dependents, not quite faction members."

"I don't want Erudite anymore."

"Yes, I understand that your feelings have changed." Max' gaze travels from Eric back to me and I realize he knows exactly what is going on between us, although I doubt that if Eric was the one to tell, he did so willingly. "However, once the statute is invoked, your personal feelings take a backseat to evidence."

"I don't understand."

"Your parents have made a case to Erudite leadership of your intelligence and therefore your importance to their faction. The Erudite leaders have decided they want you and will now pursue you. Of the four times in history this statute has been invoked, Erudite has successfully acquired a new initiate three times."

I stutter, trying to find the appropriate response. "S-so...Erudite decides they 'want' me and now they'll just take me? Regardless of my own wishes? BULLSHIT! This is fucking retarded, Max!"

Eric's lips curve and he looks away.

Max's frown deepens, "I am not going to disagree with you, based on what I've heard from your trainers and seen from your file you would have been a valuable member of Dauntless."

"Would have?" I sputter, "so you're just going to hand me over?"

Eric speaks finally and his voice sends a chill up my spine. "Max. I told you I would fight this, we are not just 'handing her over'."

Max exhales sharply. "This is Erudite Eric! They have pulled Candor to their side on this!"

"So?!"

"So would you be fighting so hard to keep her here if she wasn't riding your cock?"

Instantly, silently, both men are on their feet, squared off and ready to attack each other. I don't have time to think, I find myself standing also, hands pressed to Eric's chest, pushing desperately backwards. Eric is incensed, the air around him charged with electricity. My head is on a swivel, trying to keep track of both men.

"What the fuck does THAT mean, Max?!" He roars. "The FUCK are you saying?!"

"Nothing that won't be brought up by the council and you know it, Coulter! Dammit, why couldn't you keep your dick in your pants?! Erudite will squeeze everything they can from that! Anything to discredit the faction enough to have the council find in their favour! You may have given them just the ammunition they need!"

"I LOVE HER, MAX!"

Max freezes, eyes dropping briefly to me. Then, he shakes his head. "That won't matter to Erudite, you shouldn't have gotten involved with her."

Eric goes rigid against me and I'm finally able to push him backwards a few steps; he is almost catatonic with rage. I'm frantic, trying to keep him from attacking Max, I grab his face and began speaking, trying to break through to him.

"Eric! Eric, look at me! Eric, please!" I hiss. Eric's eyes drop to mine for the briefest moment then snap back up to Max. I try again and am horrified to feel my voice break. "Eric, baby please."

Finally, Eric exhales and drops his head to mine, his hands rest on my hips. For a long moment, we just stand together, me listening to Eric's furious growled breaths, him hearing my shudders as I fight not to cry. He relaxes slightly and reaches up to touch my cheek. Our eyes meet and he nods slightly before pressing his lips to my forehead. Lifting his head he pulls me to his chest, tucks my head under his chin and addresses Max.

"Say anything like that in front of her again and I won't let her stop me."

Max exhales sharply and nods once. "Madeline, would you leave us? I need to speak to Eric alone."

No fucking way. I shake my head without losing contact with Eric's chest. His hand touches my cheek again and he murmurs into my ear.

"Go back to the apartment, Fox. I'll be right there," when I continue to hesitate he breathes, "please baby?"

I nod and lift my head, throw Max a quick glare and leave.

I pace the apartment until I hear the keypad beep outside then throw myself at Eric as soon as he steps through the doorway. He holds me back just as tightly, kicking the door closed. Walking to the couch he sits, settling me onto his lap. He strokes my hair as I tremble and begins to speak.

"The council meets in eight days. You are suspended from training until then." He hesitates before continuing. "If the council decides to let you stay then Four will train you separately to get you up to speed with the rest of the class."

"And if they send me to Erudite?" I whisper, tears soaking Eric's collar.

"Then we're leaving."

"We?"

"Yes, you and me. We'll leave."

"And go where?"

"I don't care, it doesn't matter; as long as we're together."

His words bring fresh tears to my eyes and I curl miserably against him. He lets me cry, stroking my back and murmuring soothingly against my hair. After a while I fall asleep.

* * *

I wake later, in bed with Eric. We lay facing each other and Eric is still awake, watching me with a small peaceful smile on his face, his knuckle gently trailing along my jaw line. Seeing I'm awake, he pulls me closer, resting his forehead against me.

"You can't leave Dauntless just because of me," I whisper.

He rolls suddenly, trapping me beneath him. His hand cups my cheek and my heart starts to race at the expression on his face, at the burning in his eyes.

"I can, and I will. There is nothing here for me without you."

I'm stunned and for a moment can only stare at him. Eric's gaze softens and he lowers his lips to mine, stealing my breath with a kiss. My senses return and I pull away reluctantly.

"You can't do that! You've built a life here, you're a leader." I can't believe he's willing to give this up, and for someone like me.

"I love you and that's all that matters to me now."

Faint anger flares through me and I squirm, reaching up to grab his face.

"I'm not worth giving up everything you've-"

Eric reacts instantly, his hands gripping my wrists, for a moment it's painful, then he relaxes his grip slightly. His eyes bore into mine. "I. Love. You. There is nothing I am not willing to give up to be with you. You are absolutely worth it. Never say that again."

My heart is hammering, but not in fear. I never thought I would hear those words spoken to me, ever; let only from someone like Eric. I'm ashamed to admit that when I first met him I had dismissed him as incapable of any depth of emotion beyond scorn and rage; but instead, he is deeply passionate, his emotions and heart the strongest part of him. He's glaring down at me, and I'm horrified to feel tears start to flow again. _I am so weak._

His thumbs are gentle as he brushes my tears away, and he makes a low sound in his chest; lowering himself down he wraps around me, pulling me back to his chest and I can't stop the tears. I don't know where they come from, but my chest cleaves open and a torrent of sorrow and sadness flow out and I'm afraid for a moment that I'm going to drown, but Eric's arms hold me tight and he keeps me from going under. I don't know how much time passes before I'm able to stop and I hiccup miserably against his hot skin until he finally strokes my hair back from my forehead and presses a kiss there.

"I don't deserve you." I whisper.

"Fuck baby, it's the other way around," Eric's voice is strained, and I feel the wetness of his own tears against my skin.

* * *

"Oh fuck, baby," Eric groans, dropping his head back, his knees trembling.

It's been a few days and, although I'm suspended from training, I'm finding other ways to occupy myself. Although technically Dauntless doesn't even need to house me right now, because I am no longer considered an initiate, Max has allowed me to move in with Eric; I suspect Eric threatened him, god knows with what, to make him agree to this.

This evening, I attacked Eric as soon as he came through the door, dropping to my knees in front of him and pulling roughly at his pants. Although surprised, he doesn't immediately push me away.

"Fox, what are you doing?" He'd asked, eye wide, his hand clasping mine to keep me from pulling his zipper all the way down.

"You were always asking what you were going to do with my smart mouth, I figured something out." I grin up at him and bat his hands away, return to my task.

"Fox, I-" Eric's words are lost as he hisses through his teeth, his muscles tensing. I've pulled his jeans down far enough to pull his semi-hard cock free and have given him an experimental taste with my tongue. I've never gone down on anyone before, but I've discovered Eric's small but extensive collection of DVD's and was watching a few today.

He's fully hard now, and watches me, breathing hard through parted lips as I taste him again. I take him fully in my mouth and he groans, his hand curls into my hair. My hand around his shaft is clumsy and unskilled, so I pull away enough to whisper 'show me' and he understands, reaching down and covering my hand with his. He shows me how to hold him, how to stroke up and down the way he likes and I take over eagerly, adding my mouth as my hand picks up the rhythm.

Eric's legs start to tremble slightly as I take more of him in my mouth, relaxing my throat. He's really enjoying this, so I go deeper and swallow around him.

"Oh fuck, baby," he groans, dropping his head back. I pull away, twisting my hand the way he likes and take him in my mouth again, swallowing deeper. I'm getting hot myself, I love the way his cock feels in my mouth, the way my touch affects him. I do this again and again, feel my core begin to tingle; the sounds Eric is making, the way his body is trembling is turning me on hard and I remember something from the movie I watched earlier.

I curl my hand over his, still tangled in my hair and push, hoping he understands because I don't want to pull my mouth off of him. He does, and groans my name with reverence, his breathing becoming harsh pants, his muscles starting to quake. He pushes my head down with his hand, curls his fingers hard into my hair and I relax my throat, moaning as he starts pumping my head up and down on him, fucking my mouth. He watches me with animalistic passion in his eye, groaning my name and cursing and I love making him feel this way. I reach down between my legs like I did earlier watching this scene and moan around his cock as tingles shoot through my body. Eric groans heavily when he sees what I'm doing and drops his head back.

"Fuck baby, I'm gonna come," he moans, fingers curling against my scalp and I nearly lose it myself at the uneven sound of his voice.

He's trembling, he's so close and I hum as he thrusts into my mouth again and that throws him over the edge. A visceral groan tears from his chest, his body shuddering, legs shaking as his cock pulses and I touch myself a final time, plunging into my own climax, spasming around my hand. Even lost in his own orgasm, Eric realizes what happening and swears sharply, seeming to find another peak almost simultaneously, groaning roughly again. His knees finally give out and he slides down the wall, panting. I swallow and relax against my hand. Eric's eyes are dark with reignited desire and he reaches over, taking my hand from between my legs and placing it in his mouth, he sucks on my fingers, licking my juices off. I moan again and he pulls me against him, crushing our lips together. We taste each other on our mouths and Eric's hand cups me, he swallows my whimper and pulls back enough to rest his forehead against mine.

"What... where did you learn that?" He gasps, grinning wickedly.

"Did you like it?" I tease.

"Fuck yeah, that was amazing," his chest heaves and tiny residual shockwaves cause small tremors in his limbs still. His hand begins to move between my legs and bliss flares in my body again.

"You're so fucking hot baby," he moans, starting to suck on my neck and, as he pushes two fingers inside me I feel myself come apart again. Eric groans against my throat as I ride out my second orgasm on his hand and pulls my face to his, crushing out lips together as I moan in residual ecstasy.

We pull apart enough to rest our foreheads together and Eric sighs deeply, drawing me into his lap. His hand strokes my spine and he feathers kisses along my shoulder and neck before nuzzling his face into my hair.

I'm so comfortable here that it's hard to force myself to stand. Eric grumbles low in his chest as I pull away from him; and he follows me into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around me from behind, watching as I check on supper.

"Smells good," he murmurs into my throat.

"Getting all domesticated on me?" I tease.

"Only for you baby," he breathes, then pulls away, slapping my ass and making me squeak. I hear the bathroom door slam.

* * *

"Eric?" I'm not that hungry and have been picking at my food for a few minutes. A question floats into my head, one I stored away earlier out of sheer curiosity.

Eric is having no such problems and looks up from his half-empty plate. The sight of Dauntless' big scary leader sitting at a table, eating like a regular mortal brings a faint smile to my lips and Eric smirks in return. "What babe?"

"Tris stopped by earlier today to see how I was doing and I noticed a scar on her left hand, is that a leader's mark? I thought those were tattoos."

"Was it an 'X'?"

"Yeah."

Eric nods faintly, spearing more green beans. "She's blood-tied to Four."

"Blood-tied? What's that?"

Eric chews thoughtfully for a minute, "it's a Dauntless ritual of commitment, usually done by a couple at their wedding ceremony."

"A ritual of commitment?" Faint sparks begin coursing through my chest.

"Yes, not every Dauntless couple chooses it, but it supposedly makes for an unbreakable bond between the two people." He reaches over for his tablet and pokes the screen a few times before handing it to me. "Here's the history of it and how it's done."

"You just keep that information around for special occasions?"

He smirks again, "it's right there under Dauntless history and official ceremonies; doesn't Candor do anything like that?"

"Scar themselves? No, an engaged couple meet and ingest truth serum while an impartial third party makes them spill their guts to each other."

Eric makes a face and returns to his supper. "I'd rather do this." He ducks his head but not before I notice a faint blush on his cheeks.

I look back down at the tablet.

 _The Dauntless Faction Blood-Tie, also known as a Blood-Mating is an exclusively Dauntless ritual of commitment. First performed by Dauntless founder McKenzie Tahlor and his spouse the ritual remains unchanged._

 _Both partners stand facing each other. The male or masculine partner is traditionally shirtless, and the female or feminine partner may choose to be shirtless or may instead only have the left shoulder exposed. Although not necessary to the ritual, traditionally participants have performed the following sequence in a synchronised fashion, with the more the couple performs in tandem the more harmonious the union is said to be._

 _Each participant uses a small dagger to make an X-shaped incision on their left-hand palm. As the blood wells they press their palms to the chest of their partner, over the heart area and repeat the following phrase._

' _Bound by love, tied by love, bound by blood, tied by blood._ _'_

 _Each partner is to then coat their right index finger with their own blood and draw a single straight unbroken line down their partner_ _'_ _s face and tradition holds that, as with the synchronicity, the length of the unbroken line foretells future harmony. Again, the above phrase is repeated._

' _Bound by love, tied by love, bound by blood, tied by blood._ _'_

 _The participants are to then clasp hands, which are then bound by a length of black rope or leather. The hands should remain bound together for anywhere between 5 to 60 minutes. The length of the tie does not matter, the intent is for the blood to mingle and dry together, cementing both the literal and figurative bond between the two participants. Again, both as the hands are bound and as they are released, the above phrase is repeated and, as a closing declaration, each participant says, with the masculine partner traditionally speaking first:_

' _I am bound to you, my life is yours, my blood is yours, my heart is yours, only death separates us, then I too shall perish._ _'_

"Well, that's intense." I murmur. Eric has stood and moved to my side while I read and as I raise my head, he drops into a crouch beside me and takes my hand. As I turn to look at him, I can't stop a sharp inhalation; the look in Eric's eyes takes my breath away. He reaches with his free hand to cup my cheek and says lowly.

"I want to do this with you."

"The blood-tie?"

Eric nods, grazing his thumb across my bottom lip. "I want you to marry me. I want to do it now, but until the council decides, it wouldn't be a legal union. I want to do this, I want to blood-mate to you, right now."

"Eric, I..." I trail off, looking down; stunned into rare silence.

Eric cups my cheek and raises my head to meet his eyes again. "It doubt it would sway the council, but that's not why I want to do it. I love you, Fox and I want us to belong to each other. Do you love me that way?" A brief flash of uncertainty and fear flares in his gaze; again, he is the first to bare his heart and soul.

Tears cloud my eyes instantly, I never would have expected another person to be willing to bind themselves to me this way, I never expected someone to love me like this, but, now that Eric has said it, it makes perfect sense. Only a blood-bond would work for us, only a blood-mating would be worthy of us. He rubs my cheeks with his thumbs, gently stroking the tears away and bites his bottom lip, waiting.

"Yes," I whisper.


	6. Chapter 6

We are ready to perform the Blood-Tie Ceremony. We are alone, facing each other in Eric's apartment; no witnesses are needed for a blood-tie, since wounds and eventual scars are left behind. Eric has gone one step further than shirtless, and stands nude in front of me. Something about the rawness of this ritual demands it and so I stand nude too, my heart beginning to race with anticipation. Eric nods to me and we step closer.

"Ready baby?" He asks, his voice little more than a rumble, felt more than heard. I nod.

We raise our right hands, each holding small daggers. Eric takes a deep cleansing breath, favours me with a tender smile and then nods. I turn my attention to my left hand.

We are perfectly in sync as the blades pierce our flesh. I draw the blade across my palm a second time, completing the X. I raise my head as Eric does and I reach out as he does. My hand presses to his heart and his skin is hot; his blood is warm on my skin, trickling down my bare breast. We inhale in tandem and repeat the ritual words.

"Bound by love, tied by love, bound by blood, tied by blood." Our voices are indistinguishable from each other's, perfectly melding together and expanding outwards like an incantation. Pulling my hand away, I dig into the wound, coating my finger in my hot blood and reach for Eric's face. His hand reaches for mine. I touch his forehead, at his hairline and draw my finger down, down over his straight nose, bumping over his full lips and down his chin. His finger trails the same path on me. He tips his head back, exposing his throat to me and I continue, my blood still painting his skin. My finger trails further, finally fading at the hollow between his collarbones; I've tipped my head back too, and his finger slows and stops in the same place.

We speak again, repeating the ritualistic words and again our voices are one.

My body is tingling and I feel like we are joining something bigger than ourselves, the gleam in Eric's eye, the way his lips are parted shows me he feels the same. We move as one and touch our bleeding palms together and our words again echo out. As Eric finishes winding the black leather around our bound hands we give voice to the words again, and my heart is racing, a faint tremor running through me. Then Eric begins to speak again, and the words hit me hard, the whole ritual hits me and I fight not to stagger under the emotional weight.

"I am bound to you, my life is yours, my blood is yours, my heart is yours, only death separates us, then I too shall perish." Eric's voice is clear and deep, his eyes gazing straight into mine.

I repeat the final words, and as I whisper, "then I too shall perish," my body shudders, a visceral chill flowing through me. I feel the words, I feel the power of what we have just done. We are truly tied together, bound together, blood-mated.

Eric's chest heaves, his eyes blazing and I see that the ritual and it's power have overwhelmed him too. We close the distance between us, groaning in shared ecstasy as our lips meet.

We are on the floor, and even with our left hands tied we are frantic, clawing at each other, made desperate by the power of the ritual that just bound us as one. Eric is on top of me and we cry out together as he pushes inside me with one hard thrust. He pants into my neck, grunting and moaning helplessly as his body slams into me. The heady rush from the ritual, from painting our blood onto each other has driven us both mad with desire and I wrap my legs around his hips, pull him deeper inside me, cry out in ecstasy as he brushes my womb. Tremors race through our bodies and I grab his face with my free hand, crushing my lips to his, our mouths grind against each other with bruising force, our bodies are connected, our hot skin pressed together and our blood smears on the other as we writhe in sync. I have never felt so animalistic, so close to losing control as I do in this moment and I feel the same feverish energy from Eric; it as if we have awakened something powerful inside each other, released some raw part of our souls and they are now mating, connecting in that most primal way. My orgasm slams into me and I muffle my scream against his straining shoulder; dropping my head back with a blissful moan as Eric follows, roaring as he comes hard, slamming his hips to mine, his cock pulsing deep within my body and I feel the warmth of his release inside me. He collapses on top of me, his breath rasping in his chest and our bodies shudder in residual climax, muscles trembling. Eric's lips are gentle at my throat and I relish his weight, the warm blanket his body makes on mine. I can't explain the rush of emotions, the rush of desire that overwhelmed us both just now; I can only lay here and regain my senses.

Gradually, we gather the energy to stand and walk to the bedroom. Our hands are still tied together as Eric lays back on the bed and I lower my head to his and kiss him deeply as I straddle him, grind myself on him and swallow his moans before lowering myself down onto his cock, taking his full length in one motion. We move slowly, Eric's hand on my hip, mine pressed to his chest; our eyes locked. Our bodies move as one, my hips rocking on his, and he thrusts upward, making me drop my head back with a ragged groan.

I gaze down at this man beneath me, inside me in more ways than one. The way I've been swept up by him would frighten me if it didn't feel so right, if I couldn't read his face and see the same thoughts and emotions reflected back. The stories I've heard of him paint a picture of a cold, unfeeling monster who lives only to create misery and upset around him, and at first, that was what I saw too; but soon a small seed of doubt formed. I've built walls around myself too, I recognize barriers when I see them. Eric had a fortress around himself, still does; but he opened the door for me and let me in. Inside is a surprisingly warm place, decorated sparsely but meaningfully. He keeps few things, but he keeps them close. I'm part of this now and I feel him nestle securely behind my fortifications too. He fits, and he brightens my shadowy space.

My pleasure builds with each of his powerful strokes and I feel Eric begin to shudder underneath me, he is close, eyes glued to mine, lips parted on strained exhalations, watching every nuance and emotion. I can't fight anymore, I want to surrender to the mounting ecstasy, but I want Eric to be with me.

"Eric," I hear myself moan.

"Baby," he groans back, hand curling on my hip, fingers digging into the small of my back. He arches his head back, pressing into his pillow and sweat gleams on his velvet skin.

"Come with me," I pant, feeling his body flex beneath me. A deep ragged groan echoes from his chest and he lets go of my hip, cups the back of my neck and pulls me down to him. Our lips crush together and I let myself go, feel Eric tear apart beneath me. My orgasm overpowers my senses and I pull away, my spine arching. I want to see Eric, want to see him caught in pleasure as overwhelming as mine. His face twists in sweet pain as he comes, pulling me down hard onto him as his hips thrust up into me. I can't breathe for the waves that crash over me, pull me down again against his chest and his arm bands around me, keeping me anchored to him. I hear his heart pounding in his chest, feel the rumble of his groans. I'm shivering, I'm reborn in his arms. My body mourns the loss as he softens and withdraws from between my legs. I sprawl across his chest, so deliciously sated my eyes can barely stay open. His hand strokes up and down my spine and he sighs, a long, drawn out sound of ultimate contentment. I should have known something was going to happen.

"Why" I find myself asking, my brain deciding to take the reins for awhile, internally I grab my hair and scream, horrified at both the timing and the question my rebellious, frankly, rude mind. "We've only known each other for a few weeks."

Eric chuckles, his hand trailing up and curling into my hair, pulling my head tighter against his chest. "You and your mouth." He falls quiet for so long I start to worry but then his fingers leave my hair and trace along my ear to my jaw line. When he speaks his voice is soft. "I don't know, I can't explain it. As soon as I saw you I felt it, as soon as our eyes met... it just hit me. Shit, you probably ended up choosing Dauntless because I was screaming it in my head, I couldn't let you go anywhere else. Your place is here, in my arms and nowhere else. My heart was dead before you, you make me alive Fox, you're the one, my absolute everything. I love you and I never want to be without you."

My tears wet his skin and he strokes my cheek with his thumb, presses a kiss to the top of my head. He doesn't say anything, but I feel the tension in him, he's waiting for me to say something, but I know if I try to speak I'll just cry harder. I lift my head and touch my lips to his, deepen the kiss and stroke my tongue along his bottom lip. I pour everything I can't say into my kiss and Eric's moan tells me he understands, that my feelings translate. Pulling away only when I get light-headed, I curl under his chin and he tucks me securely to his side, relaxing against me. I hear his breathing slow and I smile slightly, he's falling asleep, and that's fine, because I am too.

The next days are heavenly, even with my future hanging uncertain, I have never been more happy. Eric and I live as a married couple, and he purrs in my ear every night as we drift asleep, clinging to each other.

"Goodnight, Fox Coulter."

A sadness creeps in slowly as the council date stalks closer. We push away the sorrow, the insecurity when we're together, try to fuck away the upcoming uncertainty, try our best to not think about what lies ahead, but as we lie sated in each other's arms, the worry returns and allow each other our tears, comfort the other with kisses and whispers.

The day of the council meeting, I lie awake long before the alarm starts to ring. Eric sleeps beside me, but it is troubled, and he mumbles my name, muscles twitching, relaxing only when I stroke his skin and murmur soothingly.

There's no point in him going to work, he wouldn't be able to concentrate anyway, so we stay in bed, tangled together, alternating long pillow talks with slow lovemaking; neither of us say it, but we're preparing for the worst, storing up memories of the other in case the unthinkable happens.

"I won't let you go," Eric whispers into my throat as the shudders from our second simultaneous orgasm fade. "I meant what I said."

"Shhh," I breathe into his neck, "I can't think of that now, just let us have this, baby please?"

He groans assent, tightening his arms around me, murmuring against my skin and we part later, only reluctantly and only because we will be late if we don't.

The council is meeting at Dauntless, in the head assembly room and Eric takes my hand as we approach the doors. The council is seated and waiting when we enter and I scan their faces. They are careful to remain impassive and I can't decide if this is a comfort or not. Guards stand at attention and I assess them. Dauntless, well-trained, is their loyalty to Eric or the faction, come the nut-cutting? I don't know. My gaze lands briefly on my parents, but I look quickly away, they are dead to me.

Max begins speaking, outlining the reason of the meeting and I force myself to stay relaxed. Jeanine looks smug, like she has already won and I feel hatred burn in me. Eric never lets go of my hand. Witnesses are called and questioned. Their stories are the same, I arrived in Dauntless wanting to go to Erudite, but my wishes changed partway through stage one, in tandem with my changing feelings for Eric. They surprise me by saying I am an obvious fit for Dauntless, that I belong here even if I didn't think so before. Then I am called, the last to be questioned before the council decides. Jeanine takes the honours, she allowed Max to do all the previous interrogations.

"You stated numerous times your wishes to be transferred to Erudite, these witnesses have already testified to that. Do you deny it?"

I can't lie, not without losing face, goddamn the woman. "No, I don't deny this."

"Do you feel the same way now?"

"No."

"But you were so adamant before, what changed?"

"I realized I belonged in Dauntless-"

"You found love." Jeanine's tone is scathing, dismissive.

"Yes."

"Your intelligence is better suited elsewhere."

"That is my decision."

"Not if your mind is clouded with... lesser things."

I bite back an outraged retort, I need to stay calm and logical to beat this bitch.

"My mind has never been clearer."

"Your parents don't believe that." 

"My parents do not know me. My parents have no say in my life anymore. My parents are prejudiced and spiteful. They view Dauntless as a lesser faction, look down on it's population, they sucked me into that negativity. That is why I wanted Erudite, I didn't know any better. The choice is mine, and I choose to stay."

"It is the council's choice."

I can't hold back anymore. "It is a biased council! You have decided you want me, my brain and you will stop at nothing to have it, you will twist and hack at every legal loophole you can to get your way!"

Some in the council shift uncomfortably and my heart burns, I am right; Jeanine has bought their decision.

"I am saddened that you think that way-"

"Fuck your 'sadness'! Leave me alone!"

Jeanine's flawless demeanour slips slightly. "You will be wasted if you're left in Dauntless! They have no use for intelligence, they are thoughtless brutes-"

"They are my chosen faction! Intelligence is nothing without drive! If you force me to go to Erudite I will refuse to contribute, I will not use my intelligence, I will languish in wilful ignorance! I am not yours to order around!"

"Love is a worthless reason-"

"WE ARE BLOOD-TIED!" I shout and all heads swivel my way. I hold up my palm, display the healing X. What monsters would break apart us now?

Jeanine scoffs, "a heathen blood ritual, meaningless."

"Fuck you!"

Jeanine huffs and turns away, making an impatient gesture. "This is going nowhere, we decide now."

I leap to my feet and storm out, Eric at my side. I pace as he stands there watching me.

"You did well," he murmurs when I stop ranting under my breath.

"How can you be so calm?" Poor Eric is to receive the brunt of my frustrations now.

Eric closes the distance between us and pulls me to his chest, gripping my upper arms. "I'm not!" He hisses. "It took everything I had not to snap that bitch's neck! That won't help you! I-"

"Madeline Fawkes?"

We snap our heads to the speaker and he motions us back into the assembly room. Eric grips my face, presses a kiss to my lips and whispers as we pull apart. "Together."

My hand shakes in Eric's as we re-enter the room. I stand and await their decision.

"Madeline Fawkes," Max speaks for the council. "The council has decided, their decision is irrefutable, you are bound by their word. The council had decided that you are to be sent to Erudite at the earliest possible-"

He doesn't get to finish. Jeanine's guard is already reaching for me, they are trying to take me away now! Eric reacts instantly and everything becomes a blur. Gunshots pierce the air and shrieks follow.

Eric is on the ground, restrained by five guards. They are beating him but he's not going down easily. Two more guards lie dead, and Jeanine staggers, clutching her upper arm. Chaos breaks out and I am dragged screaming from the room.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: The final chapter, but then there is Eric's POV, coming soon...**

Death. That is Eric's sentence. Two counts of murder for the dead guards; one count of attempted murder for Jeanine.

I has been two days since my world ended, and it is no easier to breathe than it was then. I can't function, my heart is trapped with Eric. They haven't let me see him yet, although I demand it ceaselessly. Jeanine is said to visit me today, in my padded room in the Erudite hospital, my first true visitor since everything collapsed. She'll want a promise of loyalty from me, and I'll say anything to be granted freedom, to see Eric again. They hurt him, as I was being dragged from the room I heard him yell in pain and everything went grey. When my vision cleared again, three guards clutch their broken limbs, two more hold me on the ground while an Erudite woman stabs me in the neck with a needle. I woke up here hours later, my throat parched, my limbs leaden and bruised. The doctor that observed me through the door told me the time and day, and I realized I'd lost nearly six hours since the council hearing. An official letter told me of Eric's sentence, and the date of his chosen execution. Today, at 5 pm. I pace the cell, it is past noon, Jeanine is toying with me.

The door is unlocked and I stop, turn to face the intruder. Finally, Jeanine. Guards flank her with weapons drawn, but she is safe for now, I won't kill her until after I see Eric. She is my ticket to him. She watches me and I keep my face impassive.

"Your boyfriend is going to die today."

Her words cut me deeply, and a fresh arterial spray of anguish splashes the room, visible only to me. I bite back my groan of agony, it's what she wants.

"What do you want from me, Jeanine?" I rasp.

"Your cooperation."

"With?"

"Everything. You are Erudite now, you will contribute to the faction. You will head studies, further research, you will become Erudite."

I hesitate, then nod. _Tell her what she wants to hear._

"Do you think I don't know what you're doing? You are saying what you think I want to hear."

"Let me see Eric, please?" My game is up, all I have now is honesty. "Let me see him one last time, be with him when he dies... if you grant me this mercy, I will serve the faction."

She watches me carefully and I wait passively. She holds the cards right now _,_ I have nothing but her mercy to help me. A small smile touches her lips, she suspects. She has her game and I have mine, we shall see who walks away the winner.

"Alright. You will shower and clean up first. Wear Erudite blue and project the image of our faction."

"Let me wear my Dauntless black. Let Eric see me one last time as a warrior."

Jeanine nods, a small concession; she is either playing a deep game or is supremely arrogant. I hope for the latter.

"Guards will fetch you at 3 pm. Be ready. You will be taken to Dauntless and be with Eric as he is executed. You will then drop this delusion of yourself as anything other than an Erudite."

I nod, the terms are acceptable, for now.

I fight not to strain and pull at my guards grip. His pace is far too slow for my liking, anything short of a mad dash is too slow now. My heart burns, aches to see Eric again. Jeanine walks proud beside me, head high and I visualize snapping that neck.

One last indignity. I am shoved into an empty room and left to wait. I'm ready to crawl out of my skin. I pace and rage silently. More games, more bullshit. LET ME SEE ERIC!

Finally, the door is opened. Guards flank me as I am marched to another room. The door is opened and I am pushed inside. Eric is on his knees in the centre of the room, his hands bound behind his back. My heart breaks. I push past the guards and fall on my knees in front of Eric. He raises his head and the dead look in his eyes disappears. Pure joy shines instead and I throw my arms around him; mourn the fact that he cannot hold me back. Tears flow and I don't stop them. I gasp his name over and over again, a prayer, a benediction.

He nuzzles his face into my neck, breathing hard and we just exist for a while. No one bothers us, or maybe they do, and we are cocooned into our own little bubble and don't notice. I pull away enough to cup his face in my hands and our kiss is sweet.

"Fox, listen." Eric's voice is soft but firm and I press my cheek to his so he can whisper in my ear. "It wasn't your parents."

I jolt is surprise, but don't pull away, there's more.

"It was Max, all this time it was him. He came to see me yesterday; arrogant prick told me the whole thing. He wanted a legacy, wanted me to marry his daughter. You were in his way, so he set the Statute in motion, helped your parents invoke it, brought Jeanine over to his side. It was all him, Fox, all him. That fuck is the reason we're here."

My blood runs cold. Betrayed by our leader, betrayed by the man entrusted to lead the warrior faction. A killing hate runs through my limbs and Eric senses the rage.

"Baby, no. Listen to me."

I pull away to gaze at him, stroke his hair from his forehead. He leans into my touch.

"Don't." His words are a whisper. "Don't ruin your life."

"W-what?"

"I accept my sentence, I killed two men. Don't die with me."

I can't stop the tears and collapse against him. Although he can't hold me, Eric continues to murmur in my ear and my parched soul absorbs every word.

"Fox, don't cry, please. Baby, I love you. I'm glad we met, there is nothing I regret. Living with you, even for these short weeks was worth it. You are the best part of my life. You showed me love, you gave me perfect happiness. You made me alive, you made my life worth living." He exhales raggedly before continuing. "I love you, so fucking much. I wish we had more time but we don't. But it's not the end, baby. We're Blood-Tied, we'll always be together. Live for me now, live for us."

Hands grab me and pull me away and the last pieces of my broken heart explode, shatter outwards, slashing me to bleeding ribbons. I fight and claw desperately through my tears, trying to get back to Eric. I freeze when I feel the sting of a needle.

"Stop fighting." Jeanine's voice is cold. "This syringe holds Memory Serum. Continue to struggle and I will depress the entire contents into your neck. You will lose the last year of your life. You will forget about Dauntless, you will forget about Eric."

I shake my head slightly. _NO. I CAN_ _'_ _T FORGET. I will stand still, just please don_ _'_ _t take my memories too._

Guards hold Eric down, he tried to rise to help me. Our eyes meet and hold. It is time. Everything else disappears. The masked guard appears, gun drawn, pointed at the back of Eric's head. I can't look away, this is the best I can do for Eric now, to be the last thing he sees.

"I love you Eric." I whisper, my voice breaking.

"I love you too baby, so much." He whispers back. He is so brave, truly Dauntless. I will be brave with him. Our eyes never waver.

The gun fires.

I watch the light fade from Eric's eyes. Watch his massive body slump to the floor.

I snap my head sideways, pull free of the needle and launch myself at Eric's body. Dimly, I hear Max, the ultimate traitor say 'leave her, give her a minute,' but it hardly registers; my thoughts are only for Eric.

I cradle his head in my lap. Blood mats his baby-soft hair, streaks across his handsome face. His expression is peaceful, relaxed. I gently close his eyes. My tears glisten on his face. Everything else fades away and I can clearly hear the exact moment the tattered remains of my heart crumble to dust.

I lied. I will not be a good little scholar. I will not continue in a world that is black and meaningless. I lied to Eric, but it was a necessary lie. I will not live for him, because I cannot live without him. My tired mind races. I wish there was time, wish I had time to put a bullet between the eyes of both Max and Jeanine, but bigger things demand my attention.

I'll never know if he lets me or not, but the guard beside me doesn't move fast enough to stop me. I pull his gun from his holster.

Cold steel presses to my temple.

"I'm coming, Eric."

I pull the trigger.

I open my eyes. I am standing in a beautiful meadow. I look ahead of me, to the right. I see the walls, the city. Finally, I am outside, I escaped in death what I could not escape in life.

"Baby." The word is soft, my heart sings back.

I turn.

Eric stands there. He is tall and strong. Whole and healthy. He opens his arms and I run to him. He crushes me to his chest. His powerful arms band me, his strength comforts me, his scent surrounds me. Our lips touch.

And finally, I am home.


	8. Chapter 8 - Eric's Story

**A/N: Here it is, The Right Wrong Choice from Eric's side, enjoy!**

She haunts my dreams, her face, her body, the way she clung to me as we lay together, it all conspires to drive me fucking insane. I'm not with her now, I'm stuck here, in a cell, charged with murder. Those fucks tried to hurt her, hurt my girl, they deserved to die.

I love Fox more than I can say, more than I can find words for, fuck, the woman had my heart right from the first moment I saw her, at her Choosing Ceremony. It scared me, how strong my heart called to her, I fought the pull as long as I could, but it was hopeless, I was hers right from the start.

I'm curled on this fucking joke of a bed, wrapping myself in memories of Fox to keep the madness at bay. My hands ache to touch her, my arms throb without her in them, my chest is hollow and cold.

I see her in my minds eye, the innocent girl that stumbled down to the bowls as I held out the knife, only my years of training keeping my true emotions from showing, keeping me from sweeping her into my arms right there. Her eyes flared defiantly back at me, and the last vestiges of resistance were gone. I was gone. She was from Candor, and I saw her eyes go right to the clear water of Erudite, _shit._ _NO, pick Dauntless!_

 _I don't know what happens, but I hear the sizzle of her blood and my heart soars. "Dauntless!"_

 _She mumbles something, I step closer, pretend I don't catch it; if she thinks she's getting away from me now... "What was that?"_

 _"No...I mean, I meant to choose Erudite." Her voice is just a whisper, her eyes flick to mine then drop again. I can't let her go._

 _"Well your blood dripped onto Dauntless, so you chose us. Rules are rules. Now step in line, initiate." I go for dark and dangerous, I need her to listen... now._

 _She hesitates and I go for the throat, I can't lose her yet. "Or would you rather go straight to Factionless, Red?"_

 _Her embarrassed flush is fucking adorable, and my heart stutters in my chest._

 _"No, and don't call me that."_

 _Her fire only turns me on, but I need to wrap this up before others start asking questions. I let my voice get low and dark, make it sound like she's treading on my last nerve, when really my heart is racing with excitement. "I'll call you whatever I want to initiate. See, you choose Dauntless, which means you chose me. I'm your leader now and this year I'm also a trainer. You're mine and you're getting on my bad side quick. Now fall the fuck in line or I will pick up that sweet little ass and toss it over there. Pick fast."_

 _It works, she scuttles to the Dauntless section and I can take a breath, she has no idea how hard I had to hold myself back from kissing those pouty lips when I leaned down to growl at her. She looks at me once more and I growl silently when I need to pull my gaze away and focus on the next dependent. She doesn't look at me for the rest of the ceremony._

 _I can't describe my anxiety as I make my way to Dauntless after the ceremony ends. Will she make it to the roof? As a Candor, she probably has little experience leaping onto trains. If she didn't I will stalk the factionless until I find her and sneak her into my apartment. I tell myself that I wouldn't really, that I'm just saying that, but deep down I know I would._

 _My body threatens to puddle in relief when I throw the door open to the net room and see none other than my fox standing there. She jumped first and her grip on me tightens even more. She's intent on watching the next jumpers, she doesn't hear me approach._ _"_ _You_ _'_ _re first? What, did the girls throw you off?_ _"_ _Her muffled squeak makes me want to grab her and bury my head into her neck, but I hold back, patience Coulter._

 _She grumbles back at me and I chuckle, she's like a mouse standing up to a lion. Just wait baby._

My memories continue to hammer through my brain, and I welcome them. They take away the pain and discomfort of my wounded body.

 _She fights me non-stop and it only inflames my love for her. The girl I now know as Fox is more of a spitfire than you'd first think, looking at her meek little self. Her mouth is true Candor, and she uses it like a razor blade, it amuses me to see her shrink back in horror as her brain catches up to what her mouth just threw out. She has spirit and it only makes me love her more._

 _I push her and the others. The others because I want to be a successful leader, a successful trainer. I push Fox because the thought of her not making it through initiation keeps me up at night. I could falsify her records, bump her scores up to ensure she passes, but my own policies and procedures I implemented when I became Head Initiation Leader make that difficult, in addition to the fact that the ratings are not my decision alone. Tris, Christina, Lauren, and even Four have a say in the rankings, and like any Dauntless worth their title, they are fair and just. No, she has to make it by herself, but that doesn't mean I can't help her, can't push her to do better, to push herself past her self-imposed limits._

 _But that mouth, fuck, if she put it to better use than undermining me in training! If she only knew the fantasies I have about that mouth while I jerk my throbbing cock in the shower, fantasies about that mouth wrapped around me as I fuck her face, she'd be more careful._

 _And then she goes to the girls with her goddamn 'I don't belong here' bullshit. NO! You are mine and you will stay here. I dismiss Tris and Christina's arguments, dismiss their concerns. '_ She's doing fine. If we make an exception for her, then everyone will be wanting to switch factions when initiation gets tough.' _That's not entirely true, but I push past them, intent on finding this beautiful thorn in my side before she gets too far away. The girls beat me to the mess hall, and Christina tries once more to sway me, but I shut her down and crook my finger at my fiery Fox. I'm upset sure, that she went behind my back, but not overwhelmingly so. I need to be tough, though, hide my feelings because if I let my true emotions show now, it will be disastrous. I fan my anger as I stomp down the corridor and, hearing her scuttle behind me, stop and whirl towards her. It works and she crashes that sweet ass into me. The contact is brief but sends shivers through me anyway. I let my anger show as I swing her into the wall, bash my fists on either side of her head; I need her to submit, because if she keeps fighting, I'll only get more turned on. I have no problems with fucking in an empty corridor, but not her first time; and make no mistake, I will be her first._

" _What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Trying. To. Do?_ _"_

 _She doesn't answer, stares at her feet. My fury is turning on me, I'm getting mad at myself for cowing her this way. My fist hits the wall again. She flinches, but stays silent. I give in first, exhale hard and grab her chin, will her to look at me. Finally, she does._

" _Well?"_

" _I told you. I picked the wrong faction, I meant to choose Erudite, but my hand moved and my blood fell on Dauntless instead. My aptitude is for Erudite._ _"_

 _Not this shit again, she needs to forget Erudite now, MY sanity is starting to depend on it. I go for flippant. "So?"_

 _Her puzzled frown is adorable, I have to restrain myself from pecking a kiss to the end of her nose. "_ _Well, you should let me go to the right faction-_ _"_

 _As if, I'm never letting you go. I throw back my head and laugh. If she thinks she's getting away from me now... the little hellion pushes me, hard, in the chest, her face twisted in rage. It surprises me enough that I fall back a half-step, but the heat is my blood is desire, not anger. I need to get control again, fast, or I'll be tearing at her clothes soon, groaning as I push- GODDAMMIT, STOP! I lunge at her, slam her back against the wall, because the urge to pull her to me is rapidly overwhelming me. It takes all I have to growl menacingly._ _"_ _Careful, initiate._ _"_

 _She backs down and I'm able to rein in my lust, fuck, if she knew how much I want her... I step back, move to block her when she tries to dart sideways. I can't let her go yet, she'll get suspicious if I don't have a punishment waiting._

" _I have made my decision. Whether you meant to or not, your blood dripped onto Dauntless coals. Running to Trissy and Chrissy isn_ _'_ _t going to change that. Do not try to go behind my back again._ _"_

 _She nods, tries to leave. Not yet baby. "I'm not done yet."_

 _She turns back and I can't stop a smirk. "Report to the training room in a half-hour."_

 _Her punishment isn't hard, just tedious, and it gives me time to sit near her under the guise of supervision. But really, I'm stealing glances while her head's bent over the rifles, studiously cleaning them. My heart aches to touch that soft hair, to caress her heart-shaped face. Thank fuck she misses me adjust myself, that would be awkward, her seeing me move my obvious hard-on to a more comfortable place in my jeans. Finally, I find a safe topic._

" _So what does a smart ass do in her spare time then?_ _"_

 _I learn she loves to read, and not only that, but we share a favourite author. I dangle a piece of my heart, hope she bites. "_ _Well, Fox,_ _"_ _I throw extra emphasis on the word, Fox fits her and she needs to accept that,_ _"_ _you finish this in the next hour and I_ _'_ _ll lend you my copy._ _"_

 _Finally, she's done. I stretch out my back and catch her looking. The flirty side of me grabs the controls and saunters her way._

 _Thank fuck she has a smart ass answer, it's slows my freight train of lust down enough that my brain can take back over, if she'd said something coy or flirty back I would have lost it. I smirk and escort her from the room._

 _She fills my dreams that night, under me, on top of me, spread for my tongue, swallowing me as I come in her mouth. Fuck, I've wrecked the sheets._

 _She's slow the next day, lacking her spark. What the fuck? You'll lose ranking that way. My anger flares, she can't leave me._

 _Her shrieked response stokes my angry fire. I need her to fight for her place here, but not undermine me in front of the others. I order her to run laps, she's mine after training._

 _I call her to me as I dismiss the class. She's out of breath but still manages to be a smartass, and I my fear kicks in. I need her to pass training, I need her to start putting more effort into succeeding here than back-talking me, I can't be given a glance at my future then have it snatched away. I need her to take this seriously._ _"_ _I_ _'_ _m going to say this once more... you are here now, in Dauntless. If you fail, you_ _'_ _re factionless, I_ _'_ _m not wasting my time training factionless, so decide now whether you_ _'_ _re staying or not._ _"_

" _What do you care anyways!"_

 _Is she fucking serious? Can she not see the way I look at her? I haven't been able to hide it that well. My chest starts to ache. "_ _Get out of here, Red. Talk back in class again and I won_ _'_ _t just make you run laps._ _"_

 _The next few days fucking suck. Fox is more serious in training, but I'm still hurt by her words. Can she not see me that way? Could I not be her man?_

 _I pass the tattoo shop in the Pit, happen to glance inside and see her. She's sitting beside that little Dauntless twerp, Jax or Dax or whatever. I move towards them, ready to separate them under some bullshit initiation rule. He's lapping it up, gazing at her like a fucking sap while she strokes his hair. GODDAMMIT, I want her to touch me that way! NO! She's standing and leaning down to - NO! As her perfect lips touch that little bastard something in me breaks. I can't be here, I'll cause serious damage. I storm away, my vision red with rage._

 _I find a bottle of whiskey and hand wraps, and start beating the shit out of a heavy bag between shots. The whiskey calls me before I manage to work up a sweat however, and I slump against the wall. I can't stay here, I gotta go home. My mind starts raging and circling, I haven't drowned it in enough liquor yet, and so I find myself wandering. And there she is, in an empty corridor ahead of me. I'm tired of fighting it, I ghost to her side and grab her arm. My inner beast has taken over and I push her against the wall. She fights back and it both exhilarates and grounds me, caging the beast again._

" _What are you doing out here alone, Red? It_ _'_ _s embarrassing how easily I overpowered you, have you learned nothing in my class?_ _"_

" _It_ _'_ _s hard to learn in your class when all I hear is a giant ass braying._ _"_

 _I laugh, I can't help it, her mouth manages to both piss me off and turn me on._ _"_ _You and that mouth, Red; what am I going to do with you?_ _"_

" _Leave me alone for one,_ _"_ _she snaps and it's not funny anymore. Baby, I can't. I lean closer, unable to stop myself. My gaze falls to her new tattoo, on the delicate V made by her throat and collarbone, a phoenix; appropriate._ _"_ _Nice, small and subtle for your first._ _" I stroke it with my thumb, hum in approval._

" _How do you know it_ _'_ _s my first?_ _"_ _Again with the mouth._

" _I can tell, you_ _'_ _re Candor, your aptitude was Erudite, you_ _'_ _re used to being the good girl, good girls don_ _'_ _t have tattoos._ _"_

" _Oh really?_ _"_

" _Yeah._ _" My lips replace my thumb and my first taste of her is so sweet. Her moan heats my blood and I can't hold back anymore, I lift my head, capturing her lips with mine._

 _A deep groan claws from my chest, her lips are even sweeter than I imagined. She opens her mouth for me as I glide my tongue along her bottom lip and I curl my hand in her hair, pulling her closer. She presses against me and I tighten my arms around her; I'm rock fucking hard, grinding on her thigh. I want her so bad, but now is not the time. It's the hardest thing I've ever done, but I pull away, rest my forehead to hers. For a long moment I can't speak, and she doesn't either, we just stay together, breathing hard._

" _Fox." I whisper._

" _Eric."_

 _Fuck, I'll do anything for her when she says my name like that. The words spill from my lips, I need to tell her how I feel, but I can't articulate what's in my heart._

" _I- I don_ _'_ _t know what this is... you_ _'_ _re doing something to me... something powerful and I can_ _'_ _t fight it anymore... I don_ _'_ _t want to anymore... fuck, if you knew what you were making me think, making me do... fuck, baby._ _"_

 _She says nothing and I wait, my muscles tight. Please, god baby, don't run from me now._

 _She pulls away and I call after her, my pain bleeding into my voice. She doesn't look back and a small part of me dies._

A bang at my door. I lift my head, glare daggers at the son of a bitch who dares disturb my dreams. It's two guards, and Max. I sit up quickly. I allow the guards to handcuff me, give them the illusion of controlling me, I need to play a calm game to get what I want. I'm sat at a small table bolted to the floor, the cuffs secured to a ring attached to the table top, and Max sits across from me. He's silent until the guards leave, closing the door behind them.

"Fine mess you've got yourself in, Eric."

"Where were you? You just fucking stood there and spewed that bullshit?! Fox going to Erudite? What the fuck Max?"

Max waits patiently until I fall silent, I eye his confident look suspiciously.

"You'll get over her."

 _What the fuck did he just say?!_ The cuffs cut brutally into my wrists as I launch myself at him. The cuffs and table hold and he pushes me back into my chair. I'm so fucking pissed I can hardly see him through the haze of red. Fox is my life, I will not just 'get over her'.

"I have a proposition."

"Fuck your proposition." The haze starts to clear, maybe there's an angle here I can play. I need to be smart right now.

"Just listen. I am prepared to have all charges against you dropped. You will be released from custody and allowed to return to Dauntless a free man."

"If?" There's no way there isn't a catch here. And if he thinks I'm forgetting Fox, he can go fuck himself.

"You forget this silly infatuation with Madeline Fawkes and fulfill your destiny."

"My destiny?"

"Think of the legacy we could have, Eric. Head Leader Max Miller and his son-in-law, Head Leader in training, Eric Coulter."

Son-in-law? My expression is question enough.

"You will marry Carmel."

"C-Carmel? Your oldest daughter?" The spoiled little daddy's girl who only made it through Dauntless initiation because Max pulled every fucking string in the book? Even if my heart didn't belong solely to Fox, this girl doesn't attract me in the slightest.

Max nods. "You will marry her, help establish my legacy. My family will rule Dauntless. Your sons will be next in line for the title, naturally."

I stare in shock at him. Max, the leader I knew and respected is gone; replaced by some zealot with delusions of grandeur. NO FUCKING WAY. I want to be Head Leader eventually, but only with Fox by my side.

"No."

Max blinks at me, like he can't believe I'm not leaping at the chance, like I would sell out my heart that fast.

"No fucking way. Fuck you Max. Fuck you for even thinking I'd entertain such a ludicrous offer."

Anger clouds his face and he looks like a petulant child. "Last chance."

"I'd rather die than give Fox up."

"Goddammit Eric!" Max slams his hands down on the table. "Do you have any idea all the trouble I went through for this?"

My blood runs cold. "What trouble?"

"Who do you think invoked the Statute? Who involved the Fawkes? Who brought Jeanine on board? Fuck Eric, you didn't think her parents started all this did you?"

"Y-you?"

"Goddamn right, me. You think I'd let that girl's blood dilute Dauntless when you take over from me, some Candor bitch?"

I'm gobsmacked. This is so far out of left fucking field... I must be imagining it. Max was the catalyst behind all this? To keep Dauntless _pure?_ To ensure he has a _legacy?_ I can't, I can't even...

"Fuck you, you piece of shit. Fuck your legacy, fuck your trouble, fuck your daughter and fuck your _plans_."

Max nods sharply and stands. "So be it, your execution is tomorrow at 5 pm."

Time ticks by, I have only my memories of Fox now. My repeated requests to see her have been turned down. Is she okay? That's all I want to know. I can accept my dying, but I need to know. I need to tell her things, she'll need to grow eyes in the back of her head, she needs to know who orchestrated this. If I can't be with her, I can at least protect her.

The weeks after Fox's rejection are too painful to remember. I was an absolute prick to everyone; lashing out, sharing my heartache. It's the worst time of my life, until now.

 _Visiting Day. As Head Initiation Leader, I'm expected to circle the Pit, monitor the initiates, watch their interactions with their families. I wander aimlessly, but most of the initiates avoid me, I haven't made any friends lately. My muscles tense, my spine straightens, my Fox is near. I find her, talking to two uptight looking Candor, her parents. I see the tension in Fox's shoulders and I move to her side, can't stop myself from touching her back, fire licks my skin; I'm just in time to hear her parent's bullshit. Fuck this._

" _Mr and Mrs Fawkes? I_ _'_ _m Eric, your daughter_ _'_ _s trainer and Initiation Leader._ _"_

" _Initiation Leader? You_ _'_ _re a little young, aren_ _'_ _t you?_ _"_ _Her father's a real peach._

" _Age is only a number, sir._ _"_ _He'd better heed the warning in my voice, I'm not in the mood to suffer fools. Fox's hand brushes mine and I grab it before she has a chance to pull away. My heart gives a funny little leap and I immediately see Fox's bitch of a mother zero in on our clasped hands. I instantly mistrust the calculating look on her face, and, judging from the way Fox tenses beside me, so does she. I squeeze her hand, I'm here baby._

" _Well, thank you for making the trip here. I_ _'_ _d like you to go now. Goodbye, Mother. Goodbye, Father._ _"_

 _She turns and I turn with her, and I'm so fucking proud of her it's all I can do to not to throw my head back and roar. She starts to sniffle and tries to pull away, but I don't let her and I suddenly think of a quiet place I can take her, where I like to go when I need silence. I lead her to the roof, loosen my hand on hers so she can let go, but she doesn't and my heart gallops again. I lead her around a small shed, where the view of the city is exception, where I can lose hours sometimes._

 _We don't speak, and we don't need to. Like in the armoury, our silence is comfortable and we're content just to stand next to each other. Then, she squeezes my hand, moves to stand in front of me. I touch her hip with my free hand, pull her close, hardly daring to breathe. I hope the emotions flooding my eyes doesn't scare her, but I can't hold back anymore. I reach up, cup her cheek and, oh fuck me, she leans her face into my hand. I'm lost in this woman. I whisper her name and she steps towards me. Fuck, I want her so bad._

" _It's Fox now," she murmurs as I lower my head and tentatively press my lips to hers. She crushes her mouth to mine and I pull her to my chest, I'm rapidly losing control. I can't stop a groan when she wraps her leg around my hips and I can't stand anymore, my knees go weak and I slide down the wall, pulling Fox with me. She's straddling my lap, pressing down onto my hardening cock, and oh fuck-_

 _She starts tearing at my jacket and I rip at hers. Her skin is warm and so fucking soft as I slide under her shirt, pull it off her head. Fuck me, the lacy black bra she's wearing? Fuck, it's so hot, she's so hot. As I pull the lace from her perfect breasts she's reaching into my jeans, starts stroking my cock and I nearly lose it right there. "Fuck baby."_

 _She starts yanking at her own jeans and enough sense is still left in me to protest. No, not here, surely not up here for her first time?_

" _Yes, yes and yes." She breathes as she kisses me again and I remember one last thing, I hate to bring it up, but, fuck, it's kinda important._

" _Fox,_ _a condom._ _"_

 _Her answer is to stand up and yank her pants the rest of the way off. There's no fucking way I can stop myself now. I grab her panties on impulse and then she's right there, rocking her hips against me and begging in my ear for me to touch her. Fuck me baby, your wish, my command. I reach down, cup between her legs, groaning at the contact, I'm not even fucking inside her yet and I'm almost there. I need to help her, I'm not a small guy and her shudder as I push my finger inside her makes my cock twitch in anticipation. She grinds down on my hand and I gasp in her ear, adding a second finger and curling them against her walls. She's getting close, and fuck, so am I._

" _That_ _'_ _s it baby, let go. Come for me,_ _"_ _it's all I can do to say this without losing my shit right there as she comes on my hand, crying out in my arms and I pull my hand away, ache to touch her again._

 _She can hardly speak, asks me if it's always like this. Yeah baby, it can be, we're fucking on fire together. She rolls her hips on me, says those magic words._

" _Please Eric."_

 _I spread her juices on me to help, my heart hammering in my chest. I won't last long, not this time; I've wanted her for far too long, she's far too intoxicating to my senses. She starts to lower herself on me and it's the most fucking amazing thing I've ever felt. I groan roughly as she slams herself down on me, pushing past her barrier and accepting me into her body. Oh fuck, I've never felt so fucking alive. I manage to gasp her name, but that's all I can get out. We curl against each other as she starts to move, rising and lowering herself on me, and I let her control the pace. Fuck baby, I'm yours, do what you want, as long as you're on my cock when you do. I'm holding her hips hard enough to bruise, there's nothing but helpless grunts and groans leaving my mouth as I thrust up into her and she explodes around me. I give into the amazing fucking bliss, roaring as my body shudders under her, my cock pulsing deep inside her, this is far and away the best sex I've ever had, and we're just starting... fuck me._

 _I'm panting as she curls into my chest and she gives a small whine of loss when I pull free from her body. Fuck baby, don't worry, this is just the start. I pull her close and press tender kisses to her throat. I can't hold her close enough right now._

" _Take me to your apartment,_ _"_ _she breathes into my neck and I groan against my skin._

" _I_ _'_ _ll never let you leave if I do,_ _"_ _my whisper is harsh and possessive._

" _Good._ _"_

 _As we dress I pull her back against me, wrap my arms tight around her. I'm hard and ready to take her again, and she shivers against me. I whisper my door code in her ear, tell her I'll be right behind her, but we have to be careful now, while she's an initiate. I refuse to have her initiation integrity questioned in any way._

" _Stay calm Red." I tease._

 _She scoffs and tries to pull away,_ _"_ _stop calling me that._ _"_

" _What should I call you then?_ _"_ _I let her pull away to arm length, my hand still holds hers. I'm never fucking letting go, not now._

" _How about_ _'_ _mine_ _'_ _?_ _"_

 _I go still, my heart stuttering in my chest. I pull her roughly towards me and cup her beautiful fucking cheek. I can hardly say it._ _"_ _Are you? Mine?_ _"_

" _Do you want me?_ _"_

 _Oh fuck. Oh fuck baby, yes. A thousand times yes. I crush her to my chest, there's still too much space between us. Finally, I have control enough to whisper, "yes."_

 _I find her in the shower, and I push inside her again, and fuck if this isn't better than the first time. Later, we are in bed, and she's letting me be tender, feather kisses along her cheek and jaw, her chin and throat. I'm hard inside her and it feels so good. I see a tear trickle down her temple and my heart cleaves in two._

" _Fox?_ _"_ _I whisper and she shakes her head, smiles at me._

" _Not sad...I_ _'_ _ve never felt this way before._ _"_

" _Are you happy?_ _"_ _My voice is not entirely steady. Oh fuck, please baby, don't break my heart, not now._

" _Yes," she whispers and my life is complete._

 _I make love to her, slowly and tenderly; trying to tell her what I can't find the words for. She peaks twice in my arms before I let myself go and I'm not ashamed to whisper 'I love you' as my body shudders over hers. She is my life now._

 _She comes to me when she can, pale and shaking from the fear simulations and I hold her, take away her pain as best I can. She likes to straddle me as I lean against the headboard, and I worship her body, hold her close to me. She has nightmares, cries and screams in her sleep and it kills me to not be able to spare her this. Despite her pain, we are together, and life is good, fuck, it's great._

 _Then Max calls me into his office. The Fischer Statute. My blood runs cold._

 _I'm so scared of losing her. Erudite has their claws in her. I didn't know it at the time, but fucking MAX is pulling the puppet strings, making us all dance. I want to make Fox mine, officially, and although a wedding isn't feasible right now, a Blood-Tie Ceremony is._

 _There aren't words to describe it. It is the single most passionate and important event in my life and I feel our souls join, become one. Our sex is mind-blowing, otherworldly. No matter what happens now, we are bound forever._

" _Madeline Fawkes. The council has decided, their decision is irrefutable, you are bound by their word. The council had decided that you are to be sent to Erudite at the earliest possible-_ _"_

 _I lose it. NO! One of the Erudite bastards reach for my Fox and everything goes grey. I wake up here, in this cell._

I'm on my knees, hands bound behind my back in a plain room. My heart is almost dead, it is time for my execution and they still keep Fox from me. I don't fear death, just dying without seeing her again.

"Eric Alexander Dominic Coulter, you have been charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Your sentence is death. Have you any final words?"

I don't, just end it already.

The door opens, what fresh hell is this? I don't raise my head. Then, Fox, my life, my love is here, falling on her knees in front of me and my spirit returns. She's gasping my name, _praying_ my name and I just lean into her, breathe hard into her neck, memorizing her scent, her touch. I need to tell her.

As she pulls away to cup my face I whisper urgently. "Fox, listen." She presses her cheek to mine so I can whisper in her ear. "It wasn't your parents."

She shudders, but stays close so I can continue. "It was Max, all this time it was him. He came to see me yesterday; arrogant prick told me the whole thing. He wanted a legacy, wanted me to marry his daughter. You were in his way, so he set the Statute in motion, helped your parents invoke it, brought Jeanine over to his side. It was all him, Fox, all him. That fuck is the reason we're here." I feel the rage flow through her, but I need her to listen to me now. "Baby, no. Listen to me."

She strokes my hair from my forehead, it feels so fucking good, I lean into her touch.

"Don't." I whisper. "Don't ruin your life."

"W-what?"

"I accept my sentence, I killed two men. Don't die with me." I can't go bravely to my death until she promises me she'll carry on. I can't handle anything else. I refuse to live without her, and since everything has been taken away from us, I will welcome my death, but only if she promises to keep going, to live for us. She's crying against me and I continue speaking, begging her to listen to me.

"Fox, don't cry, please. Baby, I love you. I'm glad we met, there is nothing I regret. Living with you, even for these short weeks was worth it. You are the best part of my life. You showed me love, you gave me perfect happiness. You made me alive, you made my life worth living." He exhales raggedly before continuing. "I love you, so fucking much. I wish we had more time but we don't. But it's not the end, baby. We're Blood-Tied, we'll always be together. Live for me now, live for us."

Hands pull us apart before she can answer and she starts to scream. My chest cracks in two as I see guards manhandle her, see Jeanine stab a needle in her neck. The bitch's words freeze my heart. Oh fuck no. Not memory serum. Baby, don't fight!

Our eyes meet and hold. It is time. Everything else disappears. Her eyes flick behind me and I know the masked guard approaches, pointing his gun at the back of my head. I won't look away, Fox will be the last thing I see. I swallow the rage in my heart, we've lost, we've been pawns in a fucked up game and we didn't stand a chance at happiness, but none of that matters now. All I care about is the woman in front of me. I will not make this worse for her by showing fear. I have no fear, we are Blood-Tied, we will always be together.

"I love you Eric." She whispers, voice breaking.

"I love you too baby, so much." Our eyes never waver. My heart swells with love for her. She is so strong, so brave, so Dauntless. We would have been so happy together. She's so beaut-

I open my eyes. I'm in a meadow. I see the city ahead, finally, I am outside the fence.

Fox is here. I call out to her.

"Baby."

She turns.

She is alive and healthy, strong and proud. She runs to me, into my waiting arms. Her scent surrounds me, my heart fills with happiness.

Fuck baby, I love you.


End file.
